Thinking about Second Chances... And Third Ones... And Fourth Ones...

For the month of October, our book group read Life After Life by Kate Atkinson. This unusual novel follows the adventures of Ursula, a girl who is reborn whenever she dies, each time making different choices in her life that end up leading her down various routes to a new life.

Members enjoyed a rhubarb and raspberry jam roly-poly with vanilla custard sauce as well as some tea while discussing this book.

For pudding they had jam roly-poly and custard, the jam from the summer’s raspberries. The summer was a dream now, Sylvie said. --- Life After Life by Kate Atkinson, "War: 20 January 1915"

Please enjoy some resources regarding Life After Life below.

Author Biographies & Interviews

• https://literature.britishcouncil.org/writer/kate-atkinson
• http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/books/the-interview-kate-atkinson-20130313-2g0oz.html
• http://www.npr.org/2013/03/30/175605206/life-after-life-the-many-deaths-and-do-overs-of-ursula-todd
• http://www.goodreads.com/interviews/show/852.Kate_Atkinson
• http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/3622950/A-writers-life-Kate-Atkinson.html
• http://www.cbc.ca/radio/writersandcompany/kate-atkinson-interview-1.3016818 [audio]
• http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-21792076 [video]

Book Reviews

• http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/28/books/review/life-after-life-by-kate-atkinson.html?_r=0
• https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/jan/12/life-after-life-kate-atkinson-paperback-review
• http://articles.latimes.com/2013/apr/05/entertainment/la-ca-jc-kate-atkinson-20130407
• http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/reviews/review-life-after-life-by-kate-atkinson-8527722.html
• http://www.salon.com/2013/04/01/life_after_life_a_world_war_ii_do_over/
• http://www.npr.org/2013/04/02/175696606/in-life-after-life-caught-in-the-dangerous-machinery-of-history

Discussion Questions

• http://www.littlebrown.com/rgg/arg_9780316176484.pdf
• http://www.kateatkinson.co.uk/dnld/resources/LifeAfterLifeReadingGroupQuestions_Transworld_0cd747ddf94f.pdf

Movie Tie-In

• http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/10252041/Kate-Atkinson-novel-set-for-big-screen-adaptation.html
• http://variety.com/2013/film/news/life-after-life-twilight-1200578052/
• http://www.kateatkinson.co.uk/on_screen.php

Miscellany

• Atkinson's follow-up book to Life After Life: http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/books/2015/05/kate_atkinson_s_a_god_in_ruins_reviewed.html
• Life After Life book trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tf5rehSHlk4
• The London Blitz in photos: http://www.iwm.org.uk/history/15-powerful-photos-of-the-blitz
• Timeline of the London Blitz: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/the-timeline-the-blitz-2069075.html
• "Keep calm and carry on" history: http://www.businessinsider.com/the-surprising-history-of-keep-calm-and-carry-on-2015-6
• Recipe for our meeting treat of rhubarb raspberry jam roly-poly with vanilla custard sauce: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/rhubarb-and-raspberry-jam-roly-poly-with-vanilla-custard-sauce-241648