All the Broken Places (John Boyne) May 20, 2026 Meeting Richmond Book Club

The Richmond Book Club's May meeting will be held Wednesday, May 20, 2026, beginning at 7:00 p.m., at the Capital Ale House, Midlothian, 13831 Village Place Drive. The book we're reading is All the Broken Places (John Boyne, 2022).

From Goodreads:
"Ninety-one-year-old Gretel Fernsby has lived in the same well-to-do mansion block in London for decades. She lives a quiet, comfortable life, despite her deeply disturbing, dark past. She doesn't talk about her escape from Nazi Germany at age 12. She doesn't talk about the grim post-war years in France with her mother. Most of all, she doesn't talk about her father, who was the commandant of one of the Reich's most notorious extermination camps.
"Then, a new family moves into the apartment below her. In spite of herself, Gretel can't help but begin a friendship with the little boy, Henry, though his presence brings back memories she would rather forget. One night, she witnesses a disturbing, violent argument between Henry's beautiful mother and his arrogant father, one that threatens Gretel's hard-won, self-contained existence.
"All The Broken Places moves back and forth in time between Gretel's girlhood in Germany to present-day London as a woman whose life has been haunted by the past. Now, Gretel faces a similar crossroads to one she encountered long ago. Back then, she denied her own complicity, but now, faced with a chance to interrogate her guilt, grief and remorse, she can choose to save a young boy. If she does, she will be forced to reveal the secrets she has spent a lifetime protecting. This time, she can make a different choice than before -- whatever the cost to herself...."

Please join us to talk about the book, socialize, and have something to eat/drink. Our meeting will be held in the upstairs space at Capitol Ale House, Midlothian. There is no elevator. I can be reached at pawoodson@msn.com/text 760-650-6953 with any questions you may have. You can also use the Notifications or Messages options on the Club's page.

Thanks.

Pat Woodson