Allen and Lita Zemmol, Sue Winshall and Morris Baker share ideas.

Members of some
clubs attend each other's
simchas, including bar/bat
mitzvahs and weddings. The
Book Club threw a bridal
shower for one member —
they bought her gifts of
books, of course.
"We've seen each other
through happiness and trag-
edy," said Marilyn Flam, a
member of the Book Club.
"The Book Club was a place
I could come when my
daughter was ill. After she
died, I could still come be-
cause they made me feel
comfortable."
Book clubs spawn friend-
ships. Some extend beyond
meetings; some don't. "It's
a diverse group," said Arlene

Barris of her book club.
"There's probably a 20-year
stretch between our young-
est and oldest members.
We're a religiously-mixed
group of working women
and homemakers, and we
can't wait to see each other
and share our ideas."
Members of the club to
which Joseph Savin (and
Morris Baker and Mel An-
nis) belong celebrated their
club's 25th anniversary with
a luncheon cruise on Lake
St. Clair. Sharing books and
ideas creates a special bond
between people, enthusiasts
say.
"It really is more than just
a group," Dr. Bardenstein
says. "With all the impor-

tant things that happen —
good or bad — the group is
there as support."

EPILOGUE

he concept isn't
totally original,
but maybe some-
how, someday,
someone from a
Detroit book club
will put pen to paper and
write a book about — what
else? — a book club.
Dorie Shwedel, a self-ad-
mitted reading addict, sug-
gests the title, "Read to
Death."
Regardless, the story

might go something like
this:
Once upon a time in met-
ropolitan Detroit, groups of
people formed to share their
love of reading. They grew
together because they read
together.
...It would have a happy
ending. El