The group discusses "The Elegance of the Hedgehog" by Muriel Barbery.
About the book:
Rene Michel is the 54-year-old concierge of a luxury Paris apartment building. Her exterior (short, ugly, and plump) and demeanor (poor, discreet, and insignificant) belie her keen, questioning mind and profound erudition. Paloma Josse is a 12-year-old genius who behaves as everyone expects her to behave: a mediocre pre-teen high on adolescent subculture, a good but not outstanding student, an obedient if obstinate daughter. She plans to kill herself on the sixteenth of June, her thirteenth birthday. Both Rene and Paloma hide their true talents and finest qualities from the bourgeois families around them until a wealthy Japanese gentleman named Ozu moves into the building. Only he sees through them, perceiving the secret that haunts Rene, winning Paloma's trust, and helping the two discover their kindred souls. Moving, funny, tender, and triumphant, Barbery's novel exalts the quiet victories of the inconspicuous among us.
Click here to reserve a copy of the book.
The book is available as a downloadable audiobook and an ebook via hoopla.
This program is part of National Library Week, an annual observance sponsored by the American Library Association each April highlighting the essential role of libraries that encourages communities to explore all that their local library has to offer.