Hi, it’s Vanessa, your ENLIGHTENMENT host.

I love to travel, and read books about other amazing places I love and would love to visit. I’m hoping there are other travelers, both active and armchair, who feel the same. So for us, here is the Wanderlust Book Club, which alternates every month with the California Club (books about the Golden State we live in).

For April, I picked The Enchanted April because it’s all about what seems to me like the ideal vacation: springtime on Italy’s Amalfi Coast. Four women from different backgrounds are alike in only one way: they’re dissatisfied with their everyday lives. While they expect a pleasant getaway, they don’t anticipate that the month they spend in an Italian castle will reintroduce them to their true natures and reacquaint them with joy. Can they go back to their regular lives?

Along with the book, I usually invite a special guest to each club meeting, someone who is an expert or very connected to the theme of the book and can answer our questions about the topic. So even if you haven’t finished / opened the book, you can still be part of the conversation.

I don’t know who that person will be just yet (I’ll update here when I do), but I feel The Enchanted April is a great book to discuss our views on vacations. How do our expectations and experiences of vacation compare/contrast to the book’s four female characters? Would you prefer a “girlfriend getaway” or rather go solo? Do you want your vacations to be life-changing or just pure fun?

Below is the book description. Tickets are $5 (not including Eventbrite’s fee) to cover brunch bites and mimosas. Join me for an enchanted Sunday Brunch book talk this April at the salon.

Claim your seat - Register here on our Eventbrite page.

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Four very different women escape the monotony of dreary London for the sunshine of Italy in a medieval castle on the Mediterranean. As each blossoms in the warmth of the Italian spring, they encounter unexpected friendship, personal growth, and heartwarming romance.

An immediate bestseller upon its first publication in 1922, The Enchanted April set off a craze for tourism to the Italian Riviera that continues today. This witty ensemble piece explores new beginnings, happiness, and the power of nature.