Event Details:
🗓️ Date: September 19, 2026
🕓 Time: 17h (Duration is 90-120min)
📍 Location: Saldanha Residences--Food Court, Downstairs: Av. Fontes Pereira de Melo 42E · Lisboa
📚 A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry
BOOK SUMMARY from The StoryGraph (https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/fd0eb732-4720-4e3f-ad12-7141cc05004b)
With a compassionate realism and narrative sweep that recall the work of Charles Dickens, this magnificent novel captures all the cruelty and corruption, dignity and heroism, of India. The time is 1975. The place is an unnamed city by the sea. The government has just declared a State of Emergency, in whose upheavals four strangers--a spirited widow, a young student uprooted from his idyllic hill station, and two tailors who have fled the caste violence of their native village--will be thrust together, forced to share one cramped apartment and an uncertain future.
As the characters move from distrust to friendship and from friendship to love, A Fine Balance creates an enduring panorama of the human spirit in an inhuman state.
📚 Book Club Prep:
Whether you’re an ear reader (audiobooks 🎧), an eye reader (e-reader, phone, or digital copy 📱), or you love the feel of a physical book 📖—you’re welcome here!
**We encourage you to support local bookstores and libraries when possible. And don’t forget: someone in the group often has a physical copy they’re happy to lend once they’ve finished—so check in the WhatsApp group if you’re in need!*
Agenda:
🕰️ Arrive a few minutes early to grab a coffee or snack from one of the many cafes and restaurants nearby (if budget and dietary restrictions allow--please note, as of Jan. 2026 this is now a requirement of the establishment).
👥 Gather as a large group for introductions, then break into smaller discussion groups for more personal conversations about the book.
📖 Book Discussion: Share your emotions, thoughts, and reflections on the story. SPOILERS WILL OCCUR. We politely ask only those who have finished the book (or are "oh so close to the end") join the meetup to ensure a deep and full discussion.
🔄 Regroup to exchange key takeaways and insights from each group.
🍝 Optional dinner afterward at the Italian place upstairs—friends, partners, and loved ones are welcome to join! (RSVP IN WHATSAPP GROUP BY THURSDAY PRIOR)
To protect our discussion space and ensure everyone feels comfortable, we have the following "group rules":
📍 RSVP Caps: Meetup RSVPs are capped at 30 members so we can actually find seating and hear one another.
🍷 Mindful Consumption: While we enjoy the social aspect of our club, please keep any alcohol consumption mindful during the discussion. Our priority is a safe, respectful, and focused environment.
📝 Structured Discussions: We follow a gently guided prompt style format. Each book's "recommender", will bring a list of open-ended questions for the large and small groups. This ensures a collaborative discussion where everyone contributes and gives us a "north star" to return to.
🤝 Group Etiquette: Book club is a "give and take" space. We expect everyone to be both a giver and receiver of ideas…meaning no interrupting, talking over others, or multiple discussions at once.
Looking forward to a heartfelt, reflective, and enriching evening!
🫶🏼 Maggie
IG: [@maggiegetsreal](unapologeticallychildfree.com/instagram)
