Recent book choice - Soldier Sailor (2023) by Claire Kilroy

"An immersive dive into the baby years... The chaos and horrors of early motherhood are vividly, remorselessly evoked in a woman’s monologue to her son... A compelling, scorching exploration of motherhood, identity and autonomy."

Set in contemporary Ireland, the book contains descriptions of mental illness, suicidal thoughts, sexism, abandonment, self-harm and pregnancy. Although shortlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction 2024, this is a short and accessible read - don't forget you can try this free online preview before deciding to attend:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Soldier-Sailor-Claire-Kilroy-ebook/dp/B0B928XCFF/?sr=8-1&asin=B0B928XCFF&format=1&depth=1

If you've been before and would like to help pay for the Meetup group, you can contribute "£1-2" per meeting (now collected around Dec & Jun). This optional payment does not apply to your first meeting and no-one is turned away for lack of funds.

General plan: by 7pm some of us should be in the upstairs room at the pub but we usually start by discussing books to read in future in case anyone arrives late. Typically we'll talk about the book until after 8pm, when there's a short break to go to the bar, then any further discussion till after 9, though of course you can leave at any point.

The Shirker's Rest takes cards, not cash, and serves a range of soft drinks, wine and spirits in addition to their beer and cider selection [https://theshirkersrest.co.uk/drinks/ ](https://theshirkersrest.co.uk/drinks/)- they don't have a kitchen but encourage you to order from https://yardsalepizza.com/menu/ ..!

COVID-19 safety measures
This is indoors though we should be able to open at least one window. Please do not attend if you feel unwell, or have a positive Covid test/symptoms - you are encouraged to a) be as vaccinated as you can, b) wear a mask if you prefer, c) follow current Covid precautions, especially if you're at risk of passing on or catching the virus.