February 2022
My Brilliant Friend
by Elena Ferrante
Moderators/Hosts:
Sarah Murdoch | Adventures with Sarah
Lisa Anderson | Lisa’s Dolce Italia
Book available from:
BookShop, ThriftBooks, World of Books, Amazon, Kindle, Audible
Back to Guide Collective Book Club
BOOK CLUB EVENTS
• INTRODUCTION: Monday, February 7, 20212 | 11am PT | 2pm ET | 8pm CET
Sarah Murdoch and Lisa Anderson present a live introduction to the New York Times’ bestselling novel My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante. Join Sarah and Lisa and be part of the conversation on the Guide Collective Facebook Page.
• DISCUSSION: Monday, February 28, 2022 | 11am PT | 2pm ET | 8pm CET
GC Book Club Members will connect live with Sarah and Lisa via a member-exclusive Zoom session. Members will be able to share their own insights from the reading, engage with one another, and ask about questions related to the book as well as to the island location and its culture. Bring your book and feel free to enjoy your favorite snacks or drinks.
Members will receive a link to the recording of this event within eight days of the discussion, so if you cannot attend, you can watch it at your leisure. The link will be available for two weeks and will then be deactivated.
To become a new GCBC member and receive the Group Discussion Zoom link, please email GC at theguidecollective@gmail.com. Link will be sent via email by 9pm PT on Sunday, February 27, 2022.
Note: Existing members who are already on the GCBC mailing list will automatically receive an email with the link.
• Throughout the month, share your reading progress with GCBC in the comments below on our social channels: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.
ABOUT THE BOOK
A modern masterpiece from one of Italy’s most acclaimed authors, My Brilliant Friend is a rich, intense, and generous-hearted story about two friends, Elena and Lila. Elena Ferrante’s inimitable style lends itself perfectly to a meticulous portrait of these two women that is also the story of a nation and a touching meditation on the nature of friendship.
The story begins in the 1950s, in a poor but vibrant neighborhood on the outskirts of Naples. Growing up on these tough streets the two girls learn to rely on each other ahead of anyone or anything else. As they grow, as their paths repeatedly diverge and converge, Elena and Lila remain best friends whose respective destinies are reflected and refracted in the other. They are likewise the embodiments of a nation undergoing momentous change.
Through the lives of these two women, Ferrante tells the story of a neighborhood, a city, and a country as it is transformed in ways that, in turn, also transform the relationship between her protagonists, the unforgettable Elena and Lila.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Elena Ferrante is the author of seven novels, including four New York Times bestsellers; The Beach at Night, an illustrated book for children; and, Frantumaglia, a collection of letters, literary essays, and interviews. Her fiction has been translated into over forty languages and been shortlisted for the MAN Booker International Prize. In 2016 she was named one of TIME’s Most Influential People of the Year and the New York Times has described her as “one of the great novelists of our time.” Ferrante was born in Naples.
Sarah Murdoch trained as an architect, abandoned her drawing board in 2000 to lead tours and research guidebooks for Rick Steves’ Europe. Specializing in Italy, she occasionally speaks with her hands and drives like a Sicilian. She blogs about her life at Adventures with Sarah and often writes about her passion for her perfectly packed bag. Sarah lives in Seattle but prefers to be out on adventures with her sons Lucca and Nicola.
Lisa Anderson is a professional tour guide in Italy, working for Rick Steves’ since 1999. She moved to Italy temporarily to teach English and learn to speak Italian and fell in love with the country…and an Italian man. Lisa spends her time guiding tours, exploring the region, and cooking up a storm with her garden’s produce. She lives in Piedmont with her husband and sons. You can follow her at lisasdolceitalia.com
