All alumni, parents, and friends are invited to join the UVA Club of Washington, DC for our virtual August Book Club! We will discuss “A Dictionary of Mutual Understanding” by Jackie Copleton.

Book Description:

“In the tradition of Memoirs of a Geisha and The Piano Teacher, a heart-wrenching debut novel of family, forgiveness, and the exquisite pain of love .

When Amaterasu Takahashi opens the door of her Philadelphia home to a badly scarred man claiming to be her grandson, she doesn’t believe him. Her grandson and her daughter, Yuko, perished nearly forty years ago during the bombing of Nagasaki. But the man carries with him a collection of sealed private letters that open a Pandora’s Box of family secrets Ama had sworn to leave behind when she fled Japan. She is forced to confront her memories of the years before the war: of the daughter she tried too hard to protect and the love affair that would drive them apart, and even further back, to the long, sake-pouring nights at a hostess bar where Ama first learned that a soft heart was a dangerous thing. Will Ama allow herself to believe in a miracle?” – Goodreads review

Zoom information to join will be emailed to registrants before the event.

We hope to see you there!

For more information on this event, please contact Simay Okyay (CLAS ’14) at so4ef@virginia.edu.

Note: These events are being recorded by audio, video, and photographic means. By participating, you grant the University of Virginia the right to use your voice/likeness in any depiction of these events, including sharing on social media. Video is not required to participate in this event. Please reach out to uvaclubs@virginia.edu if you have any questions.

This event is #open to all alumni, parents, and friends. #BookClub