Around the Fire Pit

When a member of our Book Club suggested we read Daphne Du Maurier's Rebecca for October, I knew right away it would be the perfect novel for a month which is all about ghosts and goblins.

To mirror the Gothic mood of the book, we took Book Club outside where, sitting around a fire pit, we discussed symbolism, foreshadowing, redemption, evil, and dreams. There must be something about a fire because we delved into that novel. We explored, analyzed, critiqued, and dissected.

We also came prepared to give the nameless heroine a name. Here were some of the suggestions: Frances, Daphne, Clementine, Angelina, Anastasia, Persimmon, and Rhododendron (and if you've read the novel then you know how that last suggestion makes perfect sense).

It was a lovely evening, and that night I didn't dream I went to Manderley again; rather, I thought about how grateful I was for that time around a fire, eating s'mores and drinking apple cider (or wine), all while discussing a good book with a group of wise, witty, and insightful women.