The Novel Chicks tackle ‘The Manual for Good Wives’

For bookish women, nothing compares to the debates over paperbacks, hardcovers, or digital copies; the late-night plot dissections of our favourite series; and the joy of gathering to share our latest reads.

The Novel Chicks, led by Reneé Wallace and Kelly Fletcher-Wanliss, is a group of good girlfriends who meet up when their schedules match and rave about their current picks. Using the meetings to explore genres outside their personal and usual selections, they also go all out to pair their meals with the themes of the book and typically meet at each other’s houses on a rotational basis.

Not restricting themselves to a specific reading goal, their main aim for their closed monthly meetings, even if a member is not particularly interested in their current pick, is to spend their quality time together with a shared passion for reading.

“More than anything, the book club is about creating space to connect and socialise over something we all have come to enjoy … books. It’s as much about hanging out as it is about the reading itself,” said Wallace.

Since The Novel Chicks are familiar with each other’s tastes in books, they implement new ways of selecting their next reads so [that] their meetings and next reads are both entertaining and engaging for their friend group.

“For our upcoming [meeting], Kelly switched things up with a fun ‘blind date with a book’ format. We selected three books and shared three clues about each one without revealing the titles or authors, then asked our members to vote based on the clues alone.” Wallace, a co-founder of the book club, shared with Friday Living.

The result of that activity is their current read, The Manual for Good Wives by Lola Jaye, which the group of ladies will meet in October to discuss over a themed meal inspired by the book’s setting.

In talking with Friday Living, Jaye explains that her novel “gives a snapshot of what life was like for two women from different eras: Victorian and modern day. It also shows that when it comes to how women are seen, society has come a long way, yet still has a long way to go”.

Jaye is a registered psychotherapist and historical novel author. Her novels tackle themes including race and mental health, and her catalogue includes By The Time You Read This and The Attic Child, which placed third in the 2023 Best Adult Book category for The Diversity Book Awards.

With her book, which she considers a love letter to black women, she hopes that readers will leave with a sense of hope and the possibility of overcoming their personal challenges.

Jaye says, “[ The Manual for Good Wives] is a reminder that even though [black women] can be resilient and ‘strong’, they can also be soft and are most certainly deserving of romantic love. Not the type you have to struggle for, but the kind of love that will never allow you to question your self-worth or value”.

Already caught up on reading, Wallace shared she looks forward to discussing characters in Jaye’s latest book and how her friends relate to the situations the characters face versus their own personal journeys.

“What really stood out to me was seeing a black woman go against the grain and push back against what was expected of her,” Wallace continued, “I think there’s a lot in the story that will get us talking, especially around identity and challenging societal expectations”.

Beyond the intellectual conversations, the friends’ book club is a place for light-hearted connection. Wallace shared an instance when a culinary attempt during a meetup didn’t go quite as planned. “A member attempted a fancy flaming cake display but nearly set the table on fire instead. We quickly decided to leave flaming desserts to the professionals!” shared Wallace.

Ultimately, The Novel Chicks is more than a gathering for discussion. They carve out time from their often busy schedules to spend time together with their shared love for books by maintaining their friendships and creating memorable moments that they’ll have a laugh about on occasion.

ruth-ann.briscoe@gleanerjm.com