an author joined the group—Julia Dahl who has recently
published a terrific first novel, Invisible City. I wasn't the one
who invited her; she came courtesy of another member,
Jeff, who works for Julia's husband. But I am pleased to
say I was the one who chose the novel as our monthly
read.
From the very start, Julia, cute, charming, gracious,
stiletto sense of humor, fit right in with the group. Except
for me, they are all around the same age—early 30s. I sat
back, sipped my coffee and watched Julia handle their
pinpoint questions with ease and confidence. The novel
deals with a murder in Brooklyn's Hasidic community and
one determined young reporter's quest to get to the truth.
It is beautifully written, fast-paced, New York City rich
dialogue and what is most impressive to me, especially
with a first novel, is how quickly a reader is engaged in the
story. In less than 20 pages, Dahl has you in her world—
the tabloids on one end; the cloistered life of the Ultra-
Orthodox on the other; and, in the middle, a young woman
grappling to come to terms with a mother who long ago
abandoned her.
The atmosphere around the Red Table was relaxed
and casual, the questions born of curiosity, the answers
delivered in a confident manner. The Red Table Book Club
is as interested in the process of how a book is written as
much as they are in how well the final version is executed.
They asked Julia about her research, about whether she
felt threatened by those in the community, about how
much her newspaper background helped her in writing
the novel. It was a pleasure for me to be a small part of
that special Sunday morning.
HYLAND
