International Book Group – Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton
The International Book Group at West Falmouth Library is a volunteer-led group that meets on the first Wednesday of each month 3:45-5 p.m. Selections have either foreign settings or foreign authors, usually both. New members are always welcome! Annual registration is requested to receive important communications about schedule or location changes; register below. Meetings are both in-person and on Zoom.
The Booker Prize–winning author of The Luminaries brings us Birnam Wood, a gripping thriller of high drama and kaleidoscopic insight into what drives us to survive.
“Birnam Wood is terrific. As a multilayered, character-driven thriller, it’s as good as it gets. Ruth Rendell would have loved it. A beautifully textured work―what a treat.”―Stephen King
“Whooshingly enjoyable . . . A witty literary thriller about the collision between eco-idealism and staggering wealth.”―John Powers, NPR’s Fresh Air
The discussion schedule is as follows:
| 9/3/2025 | Out of Darkness, Shining Light | Petina Gappah | Africa |
| 10/1/2025 | Miss Benson’s Beetle | Rachel Joyce | New Caledonia |
| 11/5/2025 | The Palace of Illusions | Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni | India |
| 12/3/2025 | The Sand Child | Tahar Ben Jelloun | Morocco |
| 1/7/2026 | The Green Road | Anne Enright | Ireland |
| 2/4/2026 | Midaq Alley | Najīb Maḥfūẓ | Cairo |
| 3/4/2026 | Birnam Wood | Eleanor Catton | New Zealand |
| 4/1/2026 | Infinite Country | Patricia Engel | Colombia |
| 5/6/2026 | The Return: Fathers, Sons, and the Land In Between | Hisham Matar | Cairo |
| 6/3/2026 | Hurricane Season | Fernanda Melchor | Mexico |