The BCB

The BCB is a small book club my Mother-in-law JoAnn, (Mama Jojo) started last month. It stands for Book Club Bitches. Now the first book was 
"The Elegance of the Hedgehog." 

by Muriel Barbery

I instantly knew when I opened this freshly purchased book that I was going to need some help in grasping the meaning of some of those elaborate words. When I showed it to my husband Tony he said "Mom was telling me about this story a while back, Let's read this together."  Instantly this book took on a life of it's own. I was romantically settled next to Tony on the couch as we took on this new book. Being together like this will always make this book supreme in my memory. When we laughed out loud or paused to discuss the book's events. I will remember it with such endearment as a great book!

I saw Tony's personality come out clearly in Paloma's profound thoughts journal. With the stories, the thoughts and the big words that all come from this book holding such beauty in them. I will love this book! and I was very sad when we finished it. This story is about Paris and a certain hotel particulier, along side the lives of the tenants who live there. 

The Concierge at number 7 is Renee Michel. She is the first person you meet in the book, at 54 years old she begins reminiscing about how she came to this job of Concierge for the last 27 years. There also is a young girl named Paloma who is12, yet she is brilliant and keeps a journal reveling her true thoughts as if she was at the age of 18. This book goes back and forth between Renee and Paloma in a way of keeping up with the cozy little place. I found myself feeling the emotion of a situation before Tony would stop to explain what those profound words meant. 

Like for example; Autodidact was mention in describing Madam Michel. Renee, who discovered the beauty in learning as a small neglected child, she came alive in the world with knowledge as she grew. Though society sees her outwardly as just a simple Concierge. I found myself not only eating up all that Renee said or thought, but I realized the simple fact while chatting along with Tony when I had mentioned never reading the word Autodidact before,  which means a self taught person. Then in fact I AM an Autodidact!!  Since I have never had the structure of a classroom nor any special attention. I related to Renee in trying to grasp the world and what it means through one's own merit. Perhaps back in those days when my Father tried sitting me down over basic math problems, (he did this once or twice.) The fact that he gave up so quickly left me struggling on my own. I am sure I bewildered him in explaining how I saw numbers, I worked harder then any average person to put the numbers together.  I remember my Father would explain having lost patience with me,      " Debby that is so much harder to do! just add the numbers! stop moving them all around like that!"   He was often completely speechless by my mathematical explanations. Soon after being left on my own I decided I would drop the whole world of numbers and dive into the world of words. When you are an Autodidact you just find your own way.

While reading this book lost among the magical world of Paris, Once My husband and I had just sat down with tea when suddenly a reference to a popular Eminem song came to thought by Renee. And almost spitting out tea I had to swallow before laughing hysterically. Tony re-read the scene asking out loud "Where did THAT come from!"  we laughed again. This book was everything wonderful for me! I shared in it with Tony, my very best friend. 

AND I was teaching myself about the art of language.  

During the meeting of the BCB I realized not everyone had such a great time reading this story. Maybe it was very snobbish and ridiculous that people talk that way in modern day Paris, maybe most of us have to be entertain more within a story, then to sit and read through a whole capture of one continuous thought. 

Mama Jojo is so proud of her son and my Husband Tony for jumping right into this book and helping me read it, He even honestly delighted over the deep messages of it's pages. 
I am in awe that this book came to my life through this book club, and that when I asked for help from Tony, he didn't even hesitate! 
So I agree with Renee Michel in this delightful book when she said  "If you have but one friend, choose her (him) well."