The Book Club

Marjolijn Februari builds an intriguing premise around a literary circle's collective silence covering up a Dutch national scandal, and the idea of using a book club's hypocrisy to probe complicity is genuinely clever. The execution, though, is rooted in specific Dutch political history that English-language readers won't carry with them, and the central character isn't compelling enough to carry the weight. An interesting novel that likely lands best in its home country.