Beth Am Women Virtual Book Club: "The Japanese Lover" by Isabelle Allende
Monday, February 13, 2023 • 22 Sh'vat 5783
7:30 PM - 9:00 PMZoom VideoconferenceLed by Nancy Cavillones
In 1939, as Poland falls under the shadow of the Nazis, young Alma Belasco’s parents send her away to live in safety with an aunt and uncle in their opulent mansion in San Francisco. There, as the rest of the world goes to war, she encounters Ichimei Fukuda, the quiet and gentle son of the family’s Japanese gardener. Unnoticed by those around them, a tender love affair begins to blossom. Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the two are cruelly pulled apart as Ichimei and his family—like thousands of other Japanese Americans — are declared enemies and forcibly relocated to internment camps run by the United States government. Throughout their lifetimes, Alma and Ichimei reunite again and again, but theirs is a love that they are forever forced to hide from the world.
Decades later, Alma is nearing the end of her long and eventful life. Irina Bazili, a care worker struggling to come to terms with her own troubled past, meets the elderly woman and her grandson, Seth, at San Francisco’s charmingly eccentric Lark House nursing home. As Irina and Seth forge a friendship, they become intrigued by a series of mysterious gifts and letters sent to Alma, eventually learning about Ichimei and this extraordinary secret passion that has endured for nearly seventy years.
Upcoming Books:
- March 13: The Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks
- April 17: The End of Bias by Jessica Nordell
- May 8: Beneath A Scarlet Sky by Mark Sullivan
*We enjoy a partnership with Kepler's Books, which will donate a portion of your purchase back to Beth Am each time you shop – as long as you enter Kepler's site through the Beth Am website. You may also generate a contribution to Beth Am when you shop at the Kepler's Books store in Menlo Park by mentioning us at the register.
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Thursday, Mar 28th 4:00p to 6:00pJoin for a postcard party to write postcards for Reclaim Our Vote (ROV), focused on voter suppression states, targeting BIPOC voters for the Georgia May 21 Congressional primary and the Virginia June 18 Congressional primary. Feel free to bring a friend!
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Community Services Agency (CSA) Pantry Help
Monday, May 20th 9:30a to 12:00pHelp out our neighbors at the Community Services Agency in Mountain View.
Distribute Breakfast at Hope’s Corner
Wednesday, May 29th 7:00a to 9:30aBeth Am is part of an interfaith group providing meals to Hope's Corner in Mountain View. We are in need of adult (aged 16+) volunteers to do food preparation under the direction of Hope’s Corner staff.