The Elsewhere Book Club – “We Were Forbidden”

“We Were Forbidden” with The Elsewhere Book Club. Some books are tickets that take you somewhere new; others are lenses that change the way you see where you are. The Elsewhere Book Club is for readers who want both. Riley Reed, Godmothers’ head of live & digital storytelling, has always been drawn to stories that transport—across borders, languages, and ways of seeing. As an avid French learner with deep ties to the culture, she’s especially interested in contemporary French literature in translation: works that carry both intimacy and distance, clarity and mystery. This latest series centers on newly released translated French titles for 2026, novels that are atmospheric, psychologically rich, and quietly expansive. Books that linger. Books that shift something. In August, the group will read “We Were Forbidden,” Jacqueline Harpman’s startling trio of novellas—translated into English for the first time—each plumbing the depths of that vital human instinct: defiance. The group will gather each month for thoughtful, open-ended conversations. Come to reflect, to listen, to share—no pressure, just a shared curiosity and a love of reading. All meetings will run from 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. This event will be hosted in Godmothers’ third-floor loft space, which is only accessible by stairs.