A Day in the Life, A Night in Book Club

What better month to visit Siberia—on the page, at least—than January?

This month’s selection is A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, a landmark work of Russian literature and a stark, moving portrait of life inside a Soviet labor camp. Based on the author’s own experiences, the novel recounts a single day in the life of Ivan Denisovich Shukhov, an ordinary prisoner navigating hunger, cold, and survival with dignity and quiet resistance.

With its concise style and powerful atmosphere, it’s a perfect winter read—offering much to discuss about endurance, individuality, and what keeps a person going through even the bleakest conditions.

I will be off exploring icebergs and penguins in Antarctica, but the rest of the group will carry on with a conversation sure to warm even the frostiest evening. Bring your thoughts, your favorite passage, and perhaps a heavy coat—this one’s cold in more ways than one.