February is fast approaching, and with it a new book club selection. And so, without further ado, February's selection is Mistress of Nothing by Kate Pullinger. Ms Pullinger won the Governor General's Award for Fiction in 2009, a surprise victor to many, as she was up against the likes of Alice Munro, Michael Crummey and Annabel Lyon. She was born in Vancouver and lives in London, and her novel delves into the dynamic between classes in the 19th century: "Lady Duff Gordon is the toast of Victorian London society. But when her debilitating tuberculosis means exile, she and her devoted lady's maid, Sally, set sail for Egypt. It is Sally who describes, with a mixture of wonder and trepidation, the odd menage (marshalled by the resourceful Omar) that travels down the Nile to a new life in Luxor. When Lady Duff Gordon undoes her stays and takes to native dress, throwing herself into weekly salons, language lessons and excursions to the tombs, Sally too adapts to a new world, which affords her heady and heartfelt freedoms never known before. But freedom is a luxury that a maid can ill-afford, and when Sally grasps more than her status entitles her to, she is brutally reminded that she is mistress of nothing." (from Chapters.ca)The book club meeting takes place on Wednesday, February 24th at 7pm. All are welcome to attend.
