Reprint of the original, first published in 1882.

Book clubs are everywhere these days. And women talk about the clubs they belong to with surprising emotion. But why are the clubs so important to them? And what do the women discuss when they meet? To answer questions like these, Elizabeth Long spent years observing and participating in women's book clubs and interviewing members from different discussion groups. Far from being an isolated activity, she finds reading for club members to be an active and social pursuit, a crucial way for women to reflect creatively on the meaning of their lives and their place in the social order.

A combination of cookbook and discussion ideas for popular book club selections features an assortment of recipes for masterful culinary creations that tie in with a variety of literary masterpieces, including "Honey Cakes" to go with The Secret Life of Bees or "Shrimp Flautas" for Richard Russo's Empire Falls. Original. 35,000 first printing.