Five Leaves Open Book Group Discusses Orbital by Samantha Harvey

Our book group is open to all. Attend every meeting, occasionally or just once in your life. All we ask is that you read the book in advance and take part in the discussion. There’s a short introduction by a member of staff, a group regular, or someone we know with a special interest in the book in question.

Life on our planet as you’ve never seen it before: in this novel six astronauts rotate in the International Space Station. They are there to do vital work, but slowly they begin to wonder: what is life without earth? What is earth without humanity?

Together they watch their silent blue planet, circling it sixteen times, spinning past continents, and cycling through seasons, taking in glaciers and deserts, the peaks of mountains and the swells of oceans. Endless shows of spectacular beauty witnessed in a single day.

Yet although separated from the world they cannot escape its constant pull. News reaches them of the death of a mother, and with it comes thoughts of returning home. They look on as a typhoon gathers over an island and people they love, in awe of its magnificence and fearful of its destruction.

The fragility of human life fills their conversations, their fears, their dreams. So far from earth, they have never felt more part – or protective – of it.

Free event. Refreshments provided.

Our book groups – Fiction (monthly), Pagan (bi-monthly), Non-Fiction (roughly quarterly) , and, coming in 2025, an Irish book group

You don’t need to buy the book from us – libraries are good! – but we offer 15% discount on book group  books in the lead up to the event. That’s 15% to anyone buying that book, whether they turn up or not.