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Book Club:
What Are They Reading?
By Elaine Rooker Jack •
Photos by by Joon Kim
Who they are: Carla Deegan,
Anita Frayser, Pam Lundquist,
Anita Nelson, Lesley Riley, Wendy
Rose, Holly Shetterly
First meeting: Tonight!
How they got together: Carla
wanted to be in a book group. She
emailed the approximately 40
members of her chapter of MOMS
Club. (MOMS stands for Moms Offering Moms Support.) About 17 women were interested.
Seven showed up for the first meeting, but all agreed that anyone in the club would be
welcome to come to any meeting.
Their meetings: Fourth Wednesday, every other month, in a member’s home. Hostess
provides drinks and dessert.What they’re reading: The Persian Pickle Club by Sandra
Dallas
Why they picked it: It’s short, not controversial, no one had read it previously, and it was
about friendships between women.
What it’s about: An intergenerational group of women who meet for a weekly quilting bee.
The story, set during the Depression, explores their relationships and history together,
particularly as it is revealed when an outsider joins.
What they thought of it: They generally like it, although the characters aren’t as well-
developed as they would have liked. Pam found it difficult to keep track of which
characters were related to each other.
Some of their conversation about it: “I’m glad I was born in the era I was born in. I mean,
making your own butter? Can you imagine?” — Wendy
Lesley, who hasn’t read the book, asks them what they liked about it.
“I liked the camaraderie, how they came together to help each other through the hard
times, and how they stuck together.” — Anita Nelson
Carla comments that a lot of us don’t experience living in the same place, near our
families, all our lives.
Anita Frayser liked the intergenerational bond between the women. “It’s powerful. They
have such a history. And they have perspective and they’ve learned how to deal with
things.”
“Desperation brings people together.” — Anita Frayser
“Desperation STILL brings people together.” — Lesley
“Everyone wants to belong to something, whether it’s a quilting group,” says Anita Nelson
as she looks around the room. “Or a MOMS group.”
What they talk about when they finish talking about the book: Neighborhoods, moves,
making new friends, being and welcoming the “new kid.”Creating Group Culture: Holly
suggests that people “throw out ideas” for the next book to read and that the hostess
make the final decision.
Books they suggest:
• The Glass Castle: A Memoir by Jeannette Walls
• The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed
America by Erik Larson
• Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier
• The Ivy Chronicles by Karen Quinn
• The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger
• Gods and Generals by Jeff Shaara
• Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything by
Steven D. Levitt
What they choose:The Hidden Diary of Marie Antoinette by Carolly EricksonSince we
visited: The group has had two more meetings, and founder Carla reports their greatest
challenge is deciding what books to read. In order to get some ideas, member Irene
Nagaraj arranged for the group to visit a local bookstore for a “book talk” presentation.
THEY ARE AT LEAST PASSING ACQUAINTANCES. OVER half of them have lived here
less than a year. Most have moved often, and all have chosen to stay home with their
young children. They congregate in Carla’s kitchen, admire the desserts, and chat.
Since this is their first meeting, they are making up the rules as they go along. Carla asks
them what they want to do first, and they decide to discuss the book in the living room and
then have dessert. They settle into the couches and Carla gets out a reader guide and
discussion questions. She has barely read them a bit of author background, when her one-
year-old son Charlie, who is supposed to be asleep, can be heard wailing upstairs. She
hands the questions to Wendy and disappears.
Wendy reads the first question. “How do the gatherings of the Persian Pickle Club ease its
members’ troubles?” There is dead silence. Then Anita Frayser says she thinks it’s a
beautiful thing when people come together. Anita Nelson says, “I want a group of friends
like that,” and their discussion is off and running.
If starting a group is your new year’s resolution, consider this your encouragement to do it.
Believe me, there are plenty of women out there waiting to join you!25 Minute Fudge Cake
From Carla’s Aunt Ruth Rasberry FOR THE CAKE
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 stick butter
1/2 cup shortening
3 tbsp cocoa
1 cup water
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Sift together flour and sugar in large bowl. Mix on stovetop
in small pot butter, shortening, cocoa, and water. Bring this mixture to rapid boil. Pour over
sugar/flour mixture and stir well.
Add eggs, buttermilk, salt, vanilla, and baking soda to mixture. Mix well.
Pour into 11x 17 pan. Bake 25-30 minutes at 325 degrees. Toothpick test.
FOR THE ICING
1 stick butter
1 can evaporated milk
1 1/2 cup coconut
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
Boil all ingredients until it changes to a darker yellow color. Pour over cake while still hot in
pan.
ELAINE JACK AT ELAINEJ@IAMTODAYSWOMAN.COM IS A REGULAR FEATURE
WRITER FOR TODAY’S WOMAN magazine.
What Are They Reading?
By Elaine Rooker Jack •
Photos by by Joon Kim
Who they are: Carla Deegan,
Anita Frayser, Pam Lundquist,
Anita Nelson, Lesley Riley, Wendy
Rose, Holly Shetterly
First meeting: Tonight!
How they got together: Carla
wanted to be in a book group. She
emailed the approximately 40
members of her chapter of MOMS
Club. (MOMS stands for Moms Offering Moms Support.) About 17 women were interested.
Seven showed up for the first meeting, but all agreed that anyone in the club would be
welcome to come to any meeting.
Their meetings: Fourth Wednesday, every other month, in a member’s home. Hostess
provides drinks and dessert.What they’re reading: The Persian Pickle Club by Sandra
Dallas
Why they picked it: It’s short, not controversial, no one had read it previously, and it was
about friendships between women.
What it’s about: An intergenerational group of women who meet for a weekly quilting bee.
The story, set during the Depression, explores their relationships and history together,
particularly as it is revealed when an outsider joins.
What they thought of it: They generally like it, although the characters aren’t as well-
developed as they would have liked. Pam found it difficult to keep track of which
characters were related to each other.
Some of their conversation about it: “I’m glad I was born in the era I was born in. I mean,
making your own butter? Can you imagine?” — Wendy
Lesley, who hasn’t read the book, asks them what they liked about it.
“I liked the camaraderie, how they came together to help each other through the hard
times, and how they stuck together.” — Anita Nelson
Carla comments that a lot of us don’t experience living in the same place, near our
families, all our lives.
Anita Frayser liked the intergenerational bond between the women. “It’s powerful. They
have such a history. And they have perspective and they’ve learned how to deal with
things.”
“Desperation brings people together.” — Anita Frayser
“Desperation STILL brings people together.” — Lesley
“Everyone wants to belong to something, whether it’s a quilting group,” says Anita Nelson
as she looks around the room. “Or a MOMS group.”
What they talk about when they finish talking about the book: Neighborhoods, moves,
making new friends, being and welcoming the “new kid.”Creating Group Culture: Holly
suggests that people “throw out ideas” for the next book to read and that the hostess
make the final decision.
Books they suggest:
• The Glass Castle: A Memoir by Jeannette Walls
• The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed
America by Erik Larson
• Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier
• The Ivy Chronicles by Karen Quinn
• The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger
• Gods and Generals by Jeff Shaara
• Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything by
Steven D. Levitt
What they choose:The Hidden Diary of Marie Antoinette by Carolly EricksonSince we
visited: The group has had two more meetings, and founder Carla reports their greatest
challenge is deciding what books to read. In order to get some ideas, member Irene
Nagaraj arranged for the group to visit a local bookstore for a “book talk” presentation.
THEY ARE AT LEAST PASSING ACQUAINTANCES. OVER half of them have lived here
less than a year. Most have moved often, and all have chosen to stay home with their
young children. They congregate in Carla’s kitchen, admire the desserts, and chat.
Since this is their first meeting, they are making up the rules as they go along. Carla asks
them what they want to do first, and they decide to discuss the book in the living room and
then have dessert. They settle into the couches and Carla gets out a reader guide and
discussion questions. She has barely read them a bit of author background, when her one-
year-old son Charlie, who is supposed to be asleep, can be heard wailing upstairs. She
hands the questions to Wendy and disappears.
Wendy reads the first question. “How do the gatherings of the Persian Pickle Club ease its
members’ troubles?” There is dead silence. Then Anita Frayser says she thinks it’s a
beautiful thing when people come together. Anita Nelson says, “I want a group of friends
like that,” and their discussion is off and running.
If starting a group is your new year’s resolution, consider this your encouragement to do it.
Believe me, there are plenty of women out there waiting to join you!25 Minute Fudge Cake
From Carla’s Aunt Ruth Rasberry FOR THE CAKE
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 stick butter
1/2 cup shortening
3 tbsp cocoa
1 cup water
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Sift together flour and sugar in large bowl. Mix on stovetop
in small pot butter, shortening, cocoa, and water. Bring this mixture to rapid boil. Pour over
sugar/flour mixture and stir well.
Add eggs, buttermilk, salt, vanilla, and baking soda to mixture. Mix well.
Pour into 11x 17 pan. Bake 25-30 minutes at 325 degrees. Toothpick test.
FOR THE ICING
1 stick butter
1 can evaporated milk
1 1/2 cup coconut
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
Boil all ingredients until it changes to a darker yellow color. Pour over cake while still hot in
pan.
ELAINE JACK AT ELAINEJ@IAMTODAYSWOMAN.COM IS A REGULAR FEATURE
WRITER FOR TODAY’S WOMAN magazine.
