Dear Great Book Guru,  I am looking forward to a myriad of wonderful summer events here in Sea Cliff beginning this week  with the Sea Cliff Civic Association’s iconic Ice Cream Social held every year in Spooky Park. While I am waiting for the fun to begin, I would love a good book to start the summer off just right.  Any ideas? 

Fan of Sea Cliff Summers

Dear Fan of Sea Cliff Summers,  My book club just finished a novel that was not  very well received by my friends, but one that I much enjoyed: THE DOOR by Magda Szabo.  Szabo is a renowned international author who has written over twenty award winning books, but is little known in America. This beautifully crafted jewel of a novel is a great introduction to her work.  It is the story of two women: Magda- a young intellectual novelist married to an older physician- and Emerence- an elderly servant who becomes an integral part of their household.  It is a deeply moving psychological mystery that seeks to uncover why these two women become so intimately connected.  Gradually we come to realize Emerence for all her intimidating and seemingly cruel behavior is actually a Christ-like figure whose love encompasses humans and animals alike. When she dies, literal and metaphorical doors open, with Magda realizing how small a person she herself is and the depth of Emerence’s goodness.   This is a very moving albeit challenging book that reminds the reader how impossible it is to truly know another. Recommended!