Book Clubs for All Ages: Connecting Through Literature
By Chidiebere Sullivan Nwuguru
Beyond the conversation surrounding how good books survive time and transcend across generations, one other thing that propagates this longevity of values that exude from books and relationships built around them, is the impact that a book club aimed at connecting book lovers across ages is capable of.
For instance, there are levels of witness to a book; those born alongside the book, those who were there before the book, and those who came after the book but grew into it. Remember, this age may not necessarily mean the time the book was written but more about the time surrounding the setting of the book. Now, imagine a book club comprising people of different ages belonging to the various levels of witness we stated earlier, imagine a scenario where a twelve-year-old shares her excitement about Chike And The River, while their parents remember the first time they read the book, or their grandma reminiscing the nostalgic moment surrounding her time reading the same book. This is the beauty of this sort of book club, it not only offers the chance to get a grasp of the book, but equally offers the opportunity to foster the discussion around the book across different generations.
While discussing and dissecting the plot of a particular book, I must say that the interpretation of it comes out differently for various age groups; surprisingly, my younger sister on reading through Purple Hibiscus, was able to point out the sides of the story that I did not quite know about as at the time I read the same book, however, on discussing this book, we were able to share the story according to how we understood it, which to me I believe was greatly influenced by our different ages. This is the kind of benefit that surrounds book clubs built with the goal of bridging the age gaps across generations; one is able to grasp parts of the story they’d missed earlier, by understanding the book differently from the perspective of those from a generation distinct from theirs, thereby, gaining the beautiful opportunity of appreciating the book on a whole new perspective.
Organising book clubs that cut across various age groups offers advantages beyond just reading and understanding the book, it often prompts discussions that stem from histories, cultures, and different life experiences; older people get the opportunity to relive their treasured memories, especially as it surrounds the book, while the younger generation enjoys the benefits of offering a more contemporary and insightful perspective on the book under discussion, and at the same time savouring the rich perspectives from the older generation all while bonding with them. With books built around themes that cut across ages, older people find an avenue to impact didactic lessons to the young ones while maintaining a delightful atmosphere around this.
Overall, I so much believe that it will be very fun organising book clubs that cut across ages as a way of living across generations through books. I can only imagine the level of bond, friendship, and understanding this sort of avenue will provide to both the young and the old; the magnitude of laughter, learning, and lasting memories this will create will be something so magnificent to behold.
Let's get started already, one book at a time!
