The El Retiro Book Group meets the 1st Tuesday of each month at 1:00 p.m. at the El Retiro Library ~ 126 vista del Parque Redondo Beach, CA 90277 ~ 310-375-0922.

 

 

Lady Tan's Circle of Women: A Novel by Lisa See
Tuesday, June 3, 2025 at 1:00 p.m.

From an early age, Yunxian learns about women's health, particularly childbirth, with her close friend Meiling, a midwife-in-training. Their bond deepens through a shared mission, despite societal norms separating doctors from midwives. They vow to support each other, believing that beauty can emerge from hardship, as the saying goes, "no mud, no lotus." However, when Yunxian enters an arranged marriage, her mother-in-law forbids her from seeing Meiling or helping women in their community. Instead, she must fulfill the role of a proper wife, spending her days embroidering, reciting poetry, bearing sons, and remaining confined to the family estate, the Garden of Fragrant Delights.

 

 

 

The Women by Kristin Hannah
Tuesday, July 1, 2025 at 1:00 p.m.

A young nurse named Frances "Frankie" McGrath enlists in the Army Nurse Corps to serve in the Vietnam War. Inspiring her decision is her brother's deployment and a friend's question about women's heroism. Frankie experiences the horrors of war, including psychological trauma, while also forming deep friendships with her roommates. Upon returning home, she struggles to reintegrate into a society that doesn't recognize her service and must find a way to share her experiences and honor the women like herself who served. 

 

 

 

The Lost Man by Jane Harper
Tuesday, August 5, 2025 at 1:00 p.m.

 Nathan Bright and his family operate a large cattle ranch in the desolate outback of western Queensland, Australia. When Nathan's brother Cam is found dead, Nathan undertakes solving the crime while knowing that, given the isolation of the farms, Cam's killer may be a member of his family.

 

 

 

 

Miss Benson’s Beetle by Rachel Joyce
Tuesday, September 2, 2025 at 1:00 p.m.

 In post-war London, Margery Benson, a schoolteacher and spinster, is trying to get through life, surviving on scraps. One day, she sets out on an expedition to the other side of the world in search of her childhood obsession: an insect that may or may not exist—the golden beetle of New Caledonia. When she advertises for an assistant to accompany her, the woman she ends up with is the last person she had in mind. Fun-loving Enid Pretty in her tight-fitting pink suit and pom-pom sandals seems to attract trouble wherever she goes. But together these two British women find themselves drawn into a cross-ocean adventure that exceeds all expectations and delivers something neither of them expected to find: the transformative power of friendship.  

 

 

Day by Michael Cunningham
Tuesday, October 7, 2025 at 1:00 p.m.

Day surveys a Brooklyn family's lives through three separate April 5ths: 2019, 2020, and 2021, highlighting their relationships and how they navigate life before, during, and after the pandemic. The story is structured around the day, using morning, afternoon, and evening to reflect the changing circumstances and emotions of the characters.  It's an exploration of love and loss, the struggles and limitations of family life, and how we all must learn to live together and apart.  

 

 

 

 

Bruno, Chief of Police by Martin Walker
Tuesday, November 4, 2025 at 1:00 p.m.

The first installment in the mystery series featuring Chief of Police Bruno.  Meet Benoît Courrèges, aka Bruno, a policeman in a small village in the South of France.  He’s a former soldier who has embraced the pleasures and slow rhythms of country life. But then the murder of an elderly North African who fought in the French army changes all that.  Now Bruno must balance his beloved routines with a politically delicate investigation.  

 

 

 

 

 

By Her Own Design by Piper Huguley
Tuesday, December 2, 2025 at 1:00 p.m.

The incredible untold story of how Ann Lowe, a Black woman and granddaughter of slaves, rose above personal struggles and racial prejudice to design and create one of America's most famous wedding dresses of all time for Jackie Kennedy.