Mary's Feminist Fiction Reading Group

Welcome to our Feminist Fiction Reading Group! A place to discover and enjoy a range of titles and themes lovingly hand picked by Mary. Woven together by feminist perspectives and critique, we will be discussing everything from unsung classics to contemporary literary fiction.

Our book this month is the perfect Summer read, sweltering from cover to cover, Hot Milk by Deborah Levy is a deep dive into a complex mother-daughter relationship. A beautifully rich coming-of-age novel filled with heavy emotional turmoil, expertly constructed by the masterful architect of women's stories, Deborah Levy.

'Today I dropped my laptop on the concrete floor of a bar built on the beach. My laptop has all my life in it and knows more about me than anyone else. So what I am saying is that if it is broken, so am I . . .'

Two women arrive in a village on the Spanish coast. Rose is suffering from a strange illness and the doctors are mystified. Her daughter Sofia has brought her here to find a cure with the infamous and controversial Dr Gomez - a man of questionable methods and motives. Intoxicated by thick heat and the seductive people who move through it, both women begin to see their lives clearly for the first time in years.

Through the opposing figures of mother and daughter, Deborah Levy explores the strange and monstrous nature of womanhood. Dreamlike and utterly compulsive, Hot Milk is a delirious fairy tale of feminine potency, a story both modern and timeless.

'Hot Milk treads a sweaty, sun-drenched path into the history books. A properly great novel' Romola Garai

'Terrific, sizzling with heat and sexuality . . . You devour it in one sitting' Radio Times

There’s no need to prepare or pressure to contribute at all - just bring your lovely self - but do feel free to mention a particular passage or character that you enjoyed during your reading.

Each entry place costs £5, fully redeemable as a voucher towards a copy of the book. We hope you’ll join us for some great conversation, and perhaps some themed baked goods!