A Book-Lover's Luncheon

Don your fanciest reading glasses: The Book and Author Luncheon is back for an 18th year on July 12. Hosted by the General Federation of Women’s Clubs, South County, this beloved annual event at the Dunes Club in Narragansett combines two of the greatest pleasures of the summer: enjoying a long lunch with good company and reading by the shore. Each year, the GFWC brings in three notable authors with new books, who all give readings and answer questions from the audience about everything from their creative processes to their favorite reads by other authors. This year it’s Anna Solomon and her novel Leaving Lucy Pear, Gina Barreca with If You Lean In, Will Men Just Look Down Your Blouse? and local superstar Ann Hood, reading from The Book That Matters Most, though the conversation will inevitably turn to her much-buzzed-about marriage to food writer Michael Ruhlman, which just got major coverage in the New York Times. Tickets benefit the GFWC South County’s scholarship programs, and all of the authors will sign copies of their books after the lunch, which is hosted by The Rhode Show’s Michaela Johnson.