MPCA Book Club
Our June 23 book will be The Penguin
Lessons by Tom Michell. “The Penguin Lessons teaches an important truth: that a single act of compassion
can be repaid a thousand-fold.”—Sy Montgomery, author of the National Book Award
finalist The Soul of an Octopus.
In 1975, twenty-three-year-old
Englishman Tom Michell follows his wanderlust to Argentina, where he becomes assistant
master at a prestigious boarding school. But Michell’s adventures really begin when,
on a weekend in Uruguay, he rescues a penguin covered in oil from an ocean spill,
cleans the bird up, and attempts to return him to the sea. The penguin refuses to
leave his rescuer’s side. Michell names the penguin Juan Salvador (John Saved),
but Juan Salvador, as it turns out, is the one who saves Michell.
After Michell smuggles the
bird back to Argentina and into his campus apartment, word spreads about the young
Englishman’s unusual roommate. Juan Salvador is suddenly the center of attention—as
mascot of the rugby team, confidant to the dorm housekeeper, co-host of Michell’s
parties, and an unprecedented swimming coach to a shy boy. Even through the collapse
of the Perónist government and amid the country’s economic and political strife,
Juan Salvador brings joy to everyone around him—especially Michell, who considers
the affectionate animal a compadre and kindred spirit. Witty and heartwarming, The
Penguin Lessons is a classic in the making, a story that is both absurd and
wonderful, exactly like Juan Salvador.
The July 28 book will be
The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams. If you’d like more information about the book club or if there’s
a book you’d like to discuss, please contact Barbara at [email protected]. The book
club meets on the fourth Tuesday evening of each month from 7:00 to 9:00 pm (except
December) in the Lower Hall. Come and join in a lively discussion about a great
book.
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