The Briar Club by Kate Quinn
The Briar Club by Kate Quinn tells the story of seven women who live in the Briarwood Boarding House in Washington D.C. in the 1950’s. The book takes place during the Cold War and the McCarthy Era, when fear of being turned over to the government for having “communist leanings”exists and causes mistrust and secrecy. The book begins with a murder taking place in the house on Thanksgiving night. Each of the women and their guests are potential suspects and in the pages that follow, we learn about their individual stories.
When Grace March, the final boarder, moves into the Briarwood house, everything changes. Up until this time, each of the boarders had been living separate lives. Grace is unconventional and breathes fresh air into the lives of the other women. She institutes the Thursday night dinner club, where they each take turns preparing meals and spending time together. Grace has the special talent of seeing who people are and drawing them out. It is through these dinners that they begin to care for one another and create community.
The Briar Club is a clever way to get a view of what life was like for people, especially women, in that era. Each character raises different issues such as women’s roles, racism, sexism, immigrants’ rights , marital abuse, PTSD, motherhood, among other themes. It was surprising to be reminded how things have changed and yet at the same time, other things haven’t! What I most appreciated in this book was seeing that we can touch the lives of others when we take the time and make space to care. We are not meant to live separate lives but we can offer solutions and support in meaningful ways. There is beauty in community!
Diane Stratmeyer, October 2025
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Je souhaite partager mon enthousiasme pour ce livre. J’ai adoré le lire et suivre l’histoire de cette maison, personnage pivot du roman, et le destin des 7 femmes.
Je suis complétement d’accord avec les propos de Diane. On en apprend beaucoup sur la notion de partage et d’entraide.
Quel livre passionnant, émouvant, bouleversant, teinté d’humour (notamment avec les recettes alléchantes qui ponctuent certains paragraphes)…et si bien écrit !
Irène-Marie