persephoneclub

It‘s now February so that means it‘s time for one of our #PersephoneClub reads!

@CarolynM ‘s pick for us this month is Family Roundabout by Richmal Crompton. This is a casual buddy read; read and comment on each other‘s posts and reviews as you see them. We usually aim to finish by the middle of the month but that‘s not written in stone. 😉 And anyone is welcome to read along with us, of course!

rubyslippersreads, quietjenn, Caryl, sisilia, daena, LeahBergen, JenlovesJT47, elkeOriginal, Gissy, Aimeesue, Tamra, Teresereading, andrew61, Cathythoughts, Bookbuyingaddict, julieclair, willaful

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rubyslippersreads

Emmeline | Judith Rossner

Catching up on last month‘s #PersephoneClub book. I‘m fascinated by stories of the Lowell Mill girls, but this one is particularly bleak. It took me a long time to finish because my feelings of dread kept growing stronger and stronger, as did my anger at most of the characters. Poor Emmeline never had a chance.

rubyslippersreads @quietjenn @Caryl @sisilia @CarolynM @daena @LeahBergen @elkeOriginal @Gissy @Aimeesue @Tamra @andrew61 @Cathythoughts @Bookbuyingaddict @julieclair @willaful 1mo

LeahBergen Poor Emmeline, indeed. 😬 1mo

quietjenn I am very behind, but already not expecting a happy ending ... 1mo

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CarolynM So much to be angry about in this book! 1mo

Cathythoughts Great review. Tough book , Yes, a lot of feelings of dread. 1mo

Bookbuyingaddict Great 👍 review & totally agree , poor emmeline beauty was a curse all she craved was friendship & love ❤️ the women were jealous and awful to her whilst the men lusted or treated her as a pawn 😩certainly no sisterhood 👯‍♀️in this book ! Glad I read it though thank you 🙏 Leah x x x. X 1mo

rubyslippersreads @Bookbuyingaddict Even Matthew (before anyone knew who he really was) could be possessive and controlling. 1mo

rubyslippersreads @CarolynM @Cathythoughts Yes. Hard to find many likable characters. 1mo

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ferskner

The Ultimate Reading Challenge: Complete a Goal, Open an Envelope, and Reveal Your Bookish Prize! | Weldon Owen

Help a Litten out! I'm wanting to get back into reading challenges this year but I'm having a hard time figuring out what Litsy is hosting these days. It looks like a few I used to do aren't active anymore. Are there any I should know about? (I'm planning to do #bookspin with @TheAromaofBooks and #agathachristieclubR3 with @Librarybelle, of course!)

Picture of my dog's dumb teeth for tax!

TheAromaofBooks I'm participating in - #Pantone2025 and #FourFoursin25 with @lauredhel
- #WickedWords with @AsYouWish
- #Roll100 and #GottaCatchEmAll with @PuddleJumper
- #FictionalTraveler and #ReadorDonate with @julieclair
and my own other challenges, #ISpyBingo and #BookChain

Have you checked @LitsyEvents ? That account does a great job reposting all kinds of shenanigans!! 1mo

Ruthiella You can follow @LitsyEvents for reposts of all the challenges, etc. Good luck! 😃 1mo

AmyG There is #authoramonth @soubhiville where one reads 1+ books from that specific author for the month. #TBRTarot is where a card is chosen and you pick a corresponding book. #readyourkindle is like Bookspin but just for ereaders. Last two are with @Cbee (edited) 1mo

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Jess861 Some of the ones I'm participating in and aren't listed above:

#BookedInTime @Cuilin
#FoodAndLit @Catsandbooks @Texreader
#SeriesLove2025 @Andrew65 @TheSpineView
#OhCanada @jess861 (me) 1mo

Cuilin #HashtagBrigade @BarkingMadRead #NoPlaceLikeHolmes @Dabbe & @Cuilin #NaturalLitsy @alldebooks #WhatTheDickens @Texreader & @Cuilin #literarycrew @Librarybelle 1mo

dabbe Some others: #WithTheBanned2025 (host: @Jadams89); #NancyDrewBR (host: @Librarybelle); #ChristiesCapers (host: @Librarybelle); #teamlesmis (host: @TheBookHippie); #ShardlakeSeriesBR (host: @dabbe) 1mo

TheBookHippie I do #SUNDAYBUDDYREAD #CHILDRENSCLASSICREAD2025 #CHLOEGONGREADALONG #READLESMIS #JOURNALINGPROMPTS #KARENINAWINTER and #LITSOLACE with @AllDebooks & @Chrissyreadit 1mo

Librarybelle @Cuilin @dabbe —thanks for mentioning the buddy reads I host! This is the last year for #192025 , which is reading a book originally published in each year from 1920-2025 (I‘ll post details later in the year for the next challenge, #192030 ). 1mo

Texreader And #litsyatoz that I‘m hosting. 1mo

AllDebooks #SeriesLove2025 challenge is a good one, hosted by @Andrew65 1mo

AllDebooks Sorry, not finished. And @thelibraryview. I'm doing the Wild Moor reading challenge. https://www.instagram.com/reel/DDKncU5i_Y7/?igsh=MXQ0a3U2cWZ1OHlieQ== 1mo

AllDebooks Series love is also hosted by @TheSpineView having a brain malfunction 😅 1mo

AllDebooks Thanks for the tags @TheBookHippie and @Cuilin 1mo

julieclair In addition to those already mentioned (thanks, @TheAromaofBooks 💙), I also host #ThematicCozies , #AllergicToChunksters , and #MonthlyNonfiction2025 . Others I participate in that haven‘t been mentioned yet are #KindredSpirits with @BarbaraJean , #LittensLoveRomance with @StayCurious , #JaneAustenThenAndNownwith @Crinoline_Laphroaig , #HitchToScreen with @JenlovesJT47 , #FurrowedMiddleBrow and #PersephoneClub with @LeahBergen . 1mo

julieclair Also #ClassicsChallenge with @Lunakay and #2025FairyTaleChallenge with @Charityann . Also Acquired Via Litsy #AVL25 with @MatchlessMarie . 1mo

Andrew65 This just shows how much is going on, an impressive list. 1mo

PuddleJumper Teeth! ❤️ I think my general ones have been mentioned. I also have #RiordanverseReadalong which is reading Rick Riordan books and #ReadYourDamnDanmei which is reading Chinese light novels. I also run seasonal challenges in October/December 1mo

PuddleJumper Also #QueerBC Monthly LGBTQIA+ authors and you can read anything they've written 1mo

LeahBergen @julieclair Wow, this is a big list! Thanks for tagging our little reading groups. 😘 1mo

MatchlessMarie When I have been away from Litsyland for a while I like to check out the @LitsyEvents page for most current things. But this is a great time of year to get back into them. It‘s hard to miss challenges since we are all abuzz with New Year wishful thinking 😂 1mo

TheAromaofBooks @Librarybelle - I will be so excited to tackle another long-term project!! I actually think I'm going to complete #192025 which is pretty thrilling! 1mo

Librarybelle That‘s so cool, @TheAromaofBooks ! I still have a bit to go but need to tally up my readings from the last half of 2024. I love the long term challenges! 1mo

julieclair @LeahBergen I think it‘s more of a “wishful thinking” list! 😂 1mo

LeahBergen @julieclair I think you‘re right. 😆 1mo

Lauredhel I'm doing #Pantone2025 (two grids) #Fourfoursin25 #WickedWords #MonthlyNonfiction2025 #Bookchain2025 #LGBTQIA2025 #urc2025 #FictionalTraveler #readharder2025 #LitsyAtoZ2025 #booklistqueenchallenge25 #ISpyBingo 1mo

Amiable Wanted to add #ChunksterChallenge2025, #DiseaseoftheMonthBookClub and #Nonfiction2025 (edited) 4w

staci.reads Also #SheSaid hosted by @Riveted_Reader_Melissa highlighting books by female authors and women's topics! 4w

ferskner @TheAromaofBooks @AmyG @Jess861 @Cuilin @dabbe @TheBookHippie @Ruthiella @Librarybelle @Texreader @AllDebooks @julieclair @PuddleJumper @MatchlessMarie @Lauredhel @Amiable @staci.reads thank you all for your help and ideas! I totally forgot about @LitsyEvents so thank you for that reminder too! I'll go through these and pick out a few. 2w

Texreader So great to have you back!! 2w

britt_brooke Joseph! 1w

59 likes30 comments

Bookbuyingaddict

Emmeline | Judith Rossner

pick

Oh emmeline! I Had a discussion in the pub recently about how some people do genuinely seem to be born with no good luck or good fortune at all and seem to attract one disaster after another & so it is with emmeline. One of the most depressing books iv ever read because you just know what disaster is going to befall the beautiful but naive emmeline. It js a pacey page turner but I‘d never have read it if it wasn‘t my Persephone bookclub pick.

rubyslippersreads, quietjenn, Caryl, sisilia, Tamara, CarolynM, daena, LeahBergen, elkeOriginal, Gissy, Aimeesue, andrew61, Cathythoughts, dabbe, julieclair, willaful

LeahBergen It was certainly a page turner for being so bleak, wasn‘t it? 1mo

CarolynM I wouldn‘t have read it without #PersephoneClub either. I‘m so glad I did! 1mo

Bookbuyingaddict @LeahBergen @CarolynM Absolutely 👍loved it and it took me by surprise 😮 who could have guessed that ending ! I sat up in bed with my new Christmas 🎄 gift 🎁 reading 📖 light to finish it , raced through it thank you 🙏 for choosing it 😌it‘s a shame our reviews are restricted to 451characters you can‘t say it all in that ! Happy NYE x x x 1mo

37 likes3 comments

andrew61

Emmeline | Judith Rossner

pick

What a compelling but sad story about a child (13) whose poverty striken family, send Emmeline to work in the hazardous cotton Mills on New Hampshire. The subsequent events find her then moving away from the area back to her family, but again, fate deals her a terrible hand. Based on a true story, very readable
@quietjenn @Tamra @CarolynM @sisilia @Caryl @daena @elkeOriginal @Gissy @Aimeesue @Bookbuyingaddict @julieclair @willaful #persephoneclub

andrew61 A few spoiler comments. I was shouting as I read abt Maguire's seduction of Emmeline,an innocent 13 year old, who only wanted a friend rather than a predator. Then ostracised by her community! Such a judgemental society. Hannah, then her saviour , seems to befriend her but rips her child from Emmeline. Finally, what to say abt Matthew, I am still reeling when I thought happiness had finally arrived. Wish we were all sat around a table to discuss. 1mo

Tamra @andrew61 yes, I wish we could discuss live! Matthew - I really didn‘t expect him to disappear completely. 😒 When I did some Googling, it does appear the real Emmeline was very much alone in the later years of her life. Even her son was absent. 1mo

andrew61 @Tamra I found the relationship with her younger sister interesting, and it was sad that her family effectively abandoned her. It would have been curious to know what Matthew did next. 1mo

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Tamra @andrew61 I was left wondering as well. 1mo

Cathythoughts Great review. I wish we could discuss too. Maybe we‘ll get a zoom going someday … 1mo

LeahBergen I was practically shouting, too! We would‘ve had such a loud and indignant, in-person book club 😆😆 1mo

dabbe 🖤🐾🖤 1mo

CarolynM Great review. There was so much that made me angry and the victim blaming was infuriating. 1mo

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CarolynM

Still Missing | Beth Gutcheon

#12BooksOf2024 February

This disturbing story which I read with the #PersephoneClub is my pick for February.

Andrew65

LeahBergen I still think about parts of this book! 😬 1mo

BarbaraBB Me too. A thought provoking book 1mo

Cathythoughts Great pick. So well written, I still think about it too. 1mo

Andrew65 This is the second nomination for this book. 1mo

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CarolynM

Emmeline | Judith Rossner

pick

#PersephoneClub

OMG! Speechless! Off to read all those spoiler comments in the other reviews now.

rubyslippersreads, quietjenn, Caryl, sisilia, daena, LeahBergen, elkeOriginal, Gissy, Aimeesue, Tamra, andrew61, Cathythoughts, Bookbuyingaddict, julieclair, willaful

TrishB That‘s a great reading match 😁 1mo

Bookbuyingaddict Haven‘t started it yet but will do after my festive reads and over the holidays 👍😍💝 1mo

Crazeedi Thanks for my card Carolyn, one is coming your way! Merry Christmas and happy new year ❤️ 1mo

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Tamra I‘m glad you finished! 😬 It‘s hard to stop when you get started. (edited) 1mo

Cathythoughts Speechless is right! What a story. 1mo

LeahBergen That‘s just how I felt when I finished it!! 😮 1mo

julieclair Can‘t wait to read this!!! 1mo

Ruthiella You guys are making me want to drop everything and get a copy of this book! 😂 1mo

CarolynM @Ruthiella Do it! 1mo

CarolynM @Crazeedi You‘re very welcome😘 Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to you too🎄 1mo

Read-n-Bloom Really like your bookmark! 1mo

CarolynM @Read-n-Bloom I can‘t take any credit. Persephone books from the Persephone Bookshop come with a bookmark that matches their individual end papers which are usually inspired by the book. This book is about a girl sent to work in a cotton mill in the 1850s. 1mo

Read-n-Bloom @CarolynM That is so 🆒! 1mo

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Tamra

Emmeline | Judith Rossner

pick

A morality tale Rossner tells in riveting fashion! Loved it even more after watching this documentary. Highly recommend as a follow-up. https://youtu.be/IRN91TeXAYE?si=L5r0urNjlonFkqvH

⚠️Spoiler Warning!!! Do NOT watch the film unless you want to know the story before reading the book.

#PersephoneClub

Tamra I gasped and woke up my husband to tell him this is mash up of Lolita & Oedipus! 😳 Whether or not it‘s actually true, the very fact the villagers shunned her for believing both “sins” as true makes it a very sad tale. Women always bearing the brunt of social punishment for any appearance of impropriety. 1mo

LeahBergen Wasn‘t it crazy?? That‘s why I couldn‘t say too much in my review of it on here when I was done. 😂 1mo

LeahBergen And I‘m loving your “mill girl” themed photo! ❤️ 1mo

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Tamra @LeahBergen 😉 1mo

Vansa This sounds amazing, thanks for recommending 1mo

CarolynM I‘m about 3/4 of the way through. Can‘t wait to read all the spoiler comments! 1mo

Cathythoughts Great photo ❤️ Thankyou for that link. 1mo

Cathythoughts @Tamra @LeahBergen Lolita & Oedipus ! Yes that‘s it. Em really went through the mill ( pun not intended) from the time she was so young and left home. That poor girl 💔 1mo

CarolynM I was completely shocked by that twist too. It is horrifying to me that she was the “sinner” when she was the victim in both cases, firstly of a predator, then of her aunt the child stealer. And before that the victim of her family, sending her into a foreign, adult environment at such a young age with so little knowledge. 1mo

Tamra @Cathythoughts think of how many girls. 😢 1mo

Tamra @CarolynM good point about victimizing the victim. Never ends - still happening. 😑 1mo

Tamra @Vansa I think you‘ll like it - reads like a page turning thriller! 🥹 1mo

47 likes12 comments

LeahBergen

The Godwits Fly | Robin Hyde

Amazingly enough, my IRL bookclub has picked a Persephone book for our current read (after 27 years together). And no, it WASN‘T my pick. 😆

I was going to ask you, @Centique , if you‘d read this classic New Zealand coming-of-age novel but I see you are the only other person to post about it on here! I‘m really enjoying it.

Ruthiella You have strong Persephone vibes! Your IRL book club has sensed them. Use your powers for good, Leah! 😜 2mo

Tamra You lucky book clubber! 😃 2mo

LeahBergen @Ruthiella 😆😆 2mo

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LeahBergen @Tamra I am! But I hope the rest of the club actually likes it or it may be our last. 😆 2mo

Tamra @LeahBergen bahahaha Why do I doubt that? 🤔 2mo

Cathythoughts 27 years! That‘s one strong bookclub ❤️ book sounds good ! 1mo

LeahBergen @Cathythoughts It‘s a great bookclub with a mix of women and men! 1mo

Centique Im so glad youre enjoying it. She was an incredible woman. I recall it being quite a long read and - being so close to her real life - a bit messy and complicated - but so beautifully written 😍 1mo

LeahBergen @Centique It really rambles along quite beautifully, if that makes sense! 1mo

CarolynM Ooh, interesting, she says, immediately adding it to her pending #PersephoneClub order 😆 1mo

LeahBergen @CarolynM 😆😆 I‘m working on my order, too! 1mo

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