Sorry for your trouble by Richard Ford (Carolyn July/Aug 201)

 

Sorry for Your Trouble by Richard Ford is a collection of nine linked stories exploring love, loss, aging, divorce, and grief. Most of the characters are middle-aged or older adults confronting the disappointments and regrets of their lives, often after the end of a marriage or the death of a loved one.

Set in places including New Orleans, Maine, Ireland, and Paris, the stories focus on quiet but significant moments of self-reflection and human connection. Former lovers meet again, widows and widowers struggle to move forward, and characters revisit memories that continue to shape their present lives. Written with Ford’s characteristic realism and emotional precision, the collection is a meditation on memory, loneliness, and resilience, showing how people endure loss and find meaning in the later stages of life.

In general it was agreed that short stories don't make the best book club book - difficult to discuss as there are so many different tales to discuss. Most of us felt that these stories were difficult to get into. 

 

Marks out of 10 between 3 and 5 in general with one 7

Words used to describe it: unreadable, uninteresting, I really cannot, overly masculine, disjionted, well observed.

Next Book

How to Build a Boat by Elaine Feeney

Next Meeting 

at Emma's 

Thursday 17th September 

 

Three Days in June by Anne Tyler (Jackie 200)

 

Three Days in June by Anne Tyler follows Gail Baines, a 61‑year‑old woman whose life unravels over a single weekend surrounding her daughter’s wedding. Just before the event, Gail unexpectedly loses her job and is shaken by criticism of her personality. At the same time, her ex‑husband Max arrives uninvited, bringing old tensions—and lingering affection—back into her life.

As the wedding approaches, Gail and Max must work together when their daughter Debbie reveals troubling news about her fiancé, forcing them to confront questions about trust, marriage, and their own past relationship. Amid awkward encounters, small crises, and moments of humour, Gail reflects on ageing, regret, and missed opportunities.

Over the three days, Gail gradually reassesses her identity and relationships, and the novel ends on a quietly hopeful note, suggesting the possibility of forgiveness, change, and second chances.

Marks out of 10: between 4 - 9

Words used to describe it: beautifully written, ordinary story, insipid, insignificant

Next book

Sorry for your trouble by Richard Ford

Next meeting 

28th August at Anna's

September Emma

October Rowena