If you enjoyed C.S. Lewis’ The Magician’s Nephew, or Susanna Clarke’s first novel, Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, or have heard of neither of these works and are willing to put a bit of trust in our literary judgment, we heartily recommend to you the novel Piranesi. And what better way to savor this award-winning piece than with fellow alumni and friends from Chesterton House? An enchanting tale of memory, identity, knowledge and the divine, Piranesi has captured the affections of many within and outside of the church. To read more about author Susanna Clarke’s reflections on her Christian faith in relation to the novel, check out this article. More Piranesi reviews found here.

Led by Chesterton House Fellows Paola Mendez-Garcia (Literatures in English, ’21) and Adrienne Hein Nystrom (Hotel Administration, ’20), the Just Show Up Alumni Book Club will meet every Thursday from 8:00-9:15PM EST over Zoom this spring to read and discuss Piranesi together. Register here to embark on the journey with us. And get this — the first ten registrants will receive a FREE hardback copy of the novel, shipped to you! Don’t delay — our first meeting will take place on February 24th.