Thanks @jimmysmum @Newpetlover @Maeve @MerryPuppins @Debbie, let’s go with the 7th July. Same time as usual!
@Landbiscuit I hope you will be able to join us, but apologies if not. I also hope you’ll be able to join us @MerryPuppins 
Thank you all for being flexible and understanding!
Jess
Jess, Congrats on your upcoming citizenship.
Unfortunately, I won’t be able to attend the discussion on the 7th. I am interested in what you all thought of the book. I listened to the audio book and would rank it as one of the best books I’ve read this year.
Thank you! I’m sorry you can’t join us on the 7th. I’m still enjoying the read, it’s been fantastic so far. If you’d like to send me any of your thoughts as a direct message I can share them with the group in the call.
Just writing to let you know I’ve DM’d the Google Meet LInk for our discussion this Tuesday the 7th. It will be led by Jess Holmes, a gifted discussion leader.
Please drop me a line if you’d like to attend but haven’t received Google Meet link.
A shout out to @MaggieUU who recommended this excellent book.
I look forward to seeing everyone.
I also listened to it and I agree it’s very good, probably the best that I’ve read this year and probably the best debut novel I’ve ever read.
I also think it’s amazing that the author was only 25 and that he was born and raised in the USA. I was convinced that most of it was somehow based on direct personal experience. But we’ll discuss that on Tuesday.
An interview with the author that you may enjoy
tbh i wasnt sure this book would be my kind of read when i started it, but it definitely grew on me. i think what stayed with me most wasnt even the big historical moments, it was the small interactions between the characters that made everything feel more real.
imo those quieter scenes gave the story a lot more weight than the dramatic ones. curious to see if anyone else felt the same, or if there was a different part that stuck with you more after finishing it.
Many thanks again 
to Jess @hitchedandhiking for leading a great discussion of this special book. We all agreed this was a remarkable debut novel that brings home the personal toll of the Ukraine War in a way that news coverage does not.
Head over to this topic for what’s to come in the Book Club.
Hi @mohsin,
Welcome to the forum!
I felt the same, when I started, I wasn’t too enthusiastic but as you said, it grew on me gradually at a steady pace until the end.
I hadn’t heard of this book before seeing it mentioned here, but the discussion has definitely made me curious about it. I always enjoy book club picks that give you something to think about after you’ve finished reading, rather than being a story you simply forget a few days later.
I’m interested to hear what everyone else thought of the characters and the overall message. Did most people find it an easy read, or was it one of those books that took a little while to get into?
Hi @mohsin.
My case was a bit different as I read it almost a year ago before it was a Book Club pick and I don’t recall finding it a hard-to-get-into read. Perhaps it changes when the book becomes an assignment or task. Regardless, it is a wonderful and moving work and I don’t think you would regret reading it.
Ah, that’s good to know. I think I probably prefer reading books when I’ve chosen them myself too. Once something becomes a “book club assignment”, it can feel a little different, even if the book itself is actually good
I usually keep a book with me for quieter moments at work too. I work around industrial projects with CS-Arabia, and there are sometimes gaps between tasks, so it’s a good way to pass the time. Now you’ve made me even more curious about this one, especially since you still remember it so positively after almost a year!
