Book club brings women together
by ANDREA KIMBRIEL Reporter

Longtime members of the Greater Amherst Welcome Wagon Book Club discuss Bill Bryson's "The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid." Jean Hagensick has been a member since the beginning of the club in 1972, Doris Nadel since 1977 and Carolyn Day for about 30 years.

The Greater Amherst Welcome Wagon Book Group will read its 375th book this year.

Founded on Feb. 9, 1972 by the late Adeline Vezzani, the club has allowed women to build friendships while discussing recent reads.

"The basis of this book club has always been a diversity of books," said Kathleen McNally, who has chaired the group for 10 years.

Members have read science fiction, biographies and books on political issues. Books are chosen based on e-mailed suggestions or picks from a yearly bookstore shopping trip.

"We look for books that aren't necessarily that well known but look interesting," said Joanne Kean.

They have a knack for choosing relatively obscure books that later become popular and are made into movies, including "The Kite Runner."

"We always try to read to open our mind to other religions - other nations," said McNally.

The club meets 10 times per year at the homes of members, usually on the third Thursday of each month.

At the book club meeting on March 20, the topic of discussion was "The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid: A Memoir" by Bill Bryson.

The book is hilarious, said members.

"They say, 'Don't read it with a can of soda in your hand,' and that describes it,'" said McNally.

The author's reminiscences about his childhood in the 1950s elicited memories of members' childhoods as well.

Each year the club reads a book on art and visits a local gallery, such as the Albright-Knox. Participants have also taken trips to locations such as the Women's Rights Museum in Seneca Falls and the Spiritualist center Lily Dale, in conjunction with books they read.

A trip to the Shaw Festival at Niagara-on-the-Lake is a yearly tradition. Another popular annual event is the spouses/partners night, when significant others are invited to read a book and join in the discussion over dinner.

The group has several rules, including not repeating authors and choosing books that have been released as paperbacks and are stocked at libraries to reduce costs.

Many members have fond memories of their founder Vezzani, who died in 2001.

"Adeline - knowing her was touching. She was an amazing woman," McNally said.

Vezzani hosted the first book discussion - "In This Sign" by Joanne Greenberg - in her home.

Because the group is part of the Greater Amherst Welcome Wagon, participants must also be members of the group. The cost is $18 per year for those 65 and older and $24 for those younger than 65.

"When you're new, it's a good way to meet people," said Kean.

Other Welcome Wagon groups offer such activities as bridge, wine tasting and Bunco. For more information about membership, call 631-9403.

"My thing in reading all these books is the community of these guys that I can really count on. There's a connection with other people," said McNally.