Books of the Week: The Secret of Clouds, Good Riddance, and The Lost Girls of Paris

The authors of The Secret of Clouds, Good Riddance, and The Lost Girls of Paris will be coming to Dunwoody in February so start reading now and then buy tickets to go see them in person!

A Page from the Book Festival of the MJCCA is pleased to present two author events in February. The first features bestselling author Elinor Lipman on Wed, February 13 at 7:30 pm, and will be in conversation with Emily Giffin, New York Times bestselling author. The second event features New York Times bestselling authors Alyson Richman & Pam Jenoff on Sun, February 24 at 7:00 pm, and will be in conversation with Zoe Fishman, New York Times bestselling author. Both events will be held at the MJCCA (Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta – 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody). Tickets to each event: Community $15/Member $10. For information, visit atlantajcc.org/bookfestival or call 678.812.4002. 

Bestselling Author Elinor Lipman, Good Riddance: A Novel

Wednesday, February 13, 7:30 pm

In conversation with Emily Giffin, New York Times bestselling author

Tickets: Community $15/Member $10

About the Book

One woman’s trash becomes another woman’s treasure in this delightful new romantic comedy from Elinor Lipman, bestselling author of The Inn at Lake Devine and On Turpentine Lane.

Good Riddance is a pitch-perfect, whip-smart new novel from an “enchanting, infinitely witty yet serious, exceptionally intelligent, wholly original, and Austen-like stylist.” (Washington Post)

Daphne Maritch doesn’t quite know what to make of the heavily annotated high school yearbook she inherits from her mother, the late June Winter Maritch. June was the teacher to whom the class of ’69 had dedicated its yearbook, and in turn, she went on to attend every reunion, scribbling notes and observations after each one—not always charitably. In a fit of decluttering, Daphne discards the relic when she moves to a small New York City apartment. But when it’s found in the recycling bin by a busybody neighbor/documentary filmmaker, the yearbook’s mysteries—not to mention her own family’s—take on a whole new urgency, and Daphne finds herself entangled in a series of events both poignant and absurd. 

New York Times Bestselling Authors Alyson Richman, The Secret of Clouds & Pam Jenoff, The Lost Girls of Paris

Sunday, February 24, 7:00 pm

A Page from the Book Festival of the MJCCA Presents Book Club Night!

In conversation with Zoe Fishman, New York Times bestselling author

Tickets: Community $15/Member $10

Alyson Richman, The Secret of Clouds

From Alyson Richman, the #1 internationally bestselling author of The Lost Wife and The Velvet Hours, comes an emotionally charged story about a mother’s love, a teacher’s journey, and a child’s heart. Katya, a rising ballerina, and Sasha, a graduate student, are young and in love when an unexpected tragedy befalls their native Kiev. 

Years later, when the couple has safely emigrated to America, their son, Yuri, will be born with a rare health condition that isolates him from other children.  When a passionate and dedicated teacher, Maggie Topper, is assigned to tutor Yuri, she finds herself forced to confront her own painful childhood memories.  As the two forge a deep and soulful connection, Yuri’s boundless curiosity and unique wisdom will inspire Maggie to make difficult changes in her own life.  The Secret of Clouds is a journey of a mother and her son, and a teacher and her student.  A story that will make readers examine what it means to actually live life with a full heart.

Pam Jenoff, The Lost Girls of Paris

Vividly rendered and inspired by true events, The Lost Girls of Paris shines a light on the incredible heroics of a little-known ring of female secret agents operating during World War II. New York Times bestselling author Pam Jenoff weaves a mesmerizing tale of courage, sisterhood and the great strength of women to survive in the hardest of circumstances.

1946, Manhattan. One morning while passing through Grand Central Terminal on her way to work, Grace Healey finds an abandoned suitcase tucked beneath a bench. Unable to resist her own curiosity, Grace opens the suitcase, where she discovers a dozen photographs—each of a different woman. In a moment of impulse, Grace takes the photographs and quickly leaves the station.

Grace soon learns that the suitcase belonged to a woman named Eleanor Trigg, leader of a network of female secret agents who were deployed out of London during the war. Twelve of these women were sent to Occupied Europe as couriers and radio operators to aid the resistance, but they never returned home, their fates a mystery. Setting out to learn the truth behind the women in the photographs, Grace finds herself drawn to a young mother turned agent named Marie, whose daring mission overseas reveals a remarkable story of friendship, valor, and betrayal. 

What is A Page from the Book Festival of the MJCCA?

A Page from the Book Festival of the MJCCA brings a prestigious array of authors to the Atlanta community throughout the year. Expanding on the success of the annual November Book Festival of the MJCCA, A Page from the Book Festival events allow the MJCCA to continue fostering a love of reading and enabling interaction with sought-after favorite authors all year long. 

Contact Information

Purchase Tickets:  MJCCA Box Office at 678.812.4002 or visit atlantajcc.org/bookfestival.