Regular Staff Book Club

The Staff Wellbeing Team have set up a regular book club for staff, reading and discussing a variety of books.

How will this help my wellbeing?

According to MHFA (Mental Health First Aid) England, reading for pleasure can be extremely beneficial for our mental health. Research shows that reading for pleasure and then talking about what you have read can be beneficial to mental health and wellbeing.

Our Next Book

The book we will be discussing is 'Cursed Bread' by Sophie Mackintosh.

'From the Man Booker-nominated author of The Water Cure comes an elegant and hypnotic new novel of obsession that centers on the real unsolved mystery of the 1951 mass poisoning of a French village.

Still reeling in the aftermath of the deadliest war the world had ever seen, the small town of Pont-Saint-Esprit collectively lost its mind. Some historians believe the mysterious illness and violent hallucinations were caused by spoiled bread; others claim it was the result of covert government testing on the local population.


In that town lived a woman named Elodie. She was the baker’s wife: a plain, unremarkable person who yearned to transcend her dull existence. So when a charismatic new couple arrived in town, the forceful ambassador and his sharp-toothed wife, Violet, Elodie was quickly drawn into their orbit. Thus began a dangerous game of cat and mouse – but who was the predator and on whom did they prey?


Audacious and mesmerising, Cursed Bread is a fevered confession, an entry into memory’s hall of mirrors, and an erotic fable of transformation. Sophie Mackintosh spins a darkly gleaming tale of a town gripped by hysteria, envy like poison in the blood, and desire that burns and consumes..
'

Our Next Meeting

Our next meeting, during which we will discuss 'Cursed Bread', will be Wednesday 6th March 13:30 - 14:00, online via Teams.

Previous Reads

Have a look at the books we've previously read