Richmond Book Club July 2025 Meeting

The Richmond Book Club's July meeting will be held Wednesday, July 16, 2025, beginning at 7:00 p.m., at the Capital Ale House, Midlothian, 13831 Village Place Drive. The book we're reading is The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife by Anna Johnston.

From a review posted on Inklings Bookshop's website:

"In Australia, Frederick Fife is a lonely 82-year-old man teetering on the edge of homelessness. All his financial resources were spent on the terminal medical care of his beloved wife, Dawn. His rent is due, his cupboard is bare, and he is deep in the throes of suicidal depression when he takes a walk to the nearby river.

"The local rest home residents are also enjoying an outing at the riverbank that day. In a bizarre set of misconstruances, Fred is mistaken for grumpy old Bernard, a resident of the Home. He tries to correct the mistake, but the caretakers know that poor Bernard suffers from dementia and ignore Fred’s protestations. He is bustled off to the Home where he is fed (much needed) and housed (much appreciated) and clothed (albeit in Bernard’s wardrobe). Eventually he realizes that he is, for the time being, Bernard. “Would you mind terribly, old boy, if I borrowed the rest of your life? I promise I’ll take excellent care of it.”

"The characters that populate the Home are charming and subtly hilarious. From the predatory widow down the hall to Fred/Bernard’s best friend Albert, stricken with Alzheimer’s, there are plenty of age-appropriate hijinks in Fred’s new life. He brings a new energy to the Home, and in turn begins to find that sense of family and community that he has been missing. When Bernard’s estranged daughter pays an unexpected visit to her father, a new chapter begins for Fred. Hannah may be the daughter that he never had. Can he rebuild Bernard’s relationship and atone for the abandonment Hannah suffered as a girl? Even that seems to be going well until a caretaker at the Home begins to put the pieces of the puzzle together. She is a bitter woman with problems of her own. If she solves the mystery of Fred/Bernard what will she do with this explosive information?

"The Borrowed of Life of Frederick Fife is a story full of generosity, forgiveness, and family in all its scope."

We'll talk about the book and eat/drink/socialize. Please consider joining us. If you have questions/comments, let me know at pawoodson@msn.com or call/text at 760-650-6953. You can also use the Notifications or Messages functions on the club's group page.

Pat Woodson