Twenty years of marriage. Three children. And then, during the early days of a pandemic, her husband left. Strangers is Burden going back through the wreckage — looking for the clues she missed, the version of him she didn’t know, the version of herself she’d set aside.

Joyce Carol Oates called it “riveting.” I’d call it the kind of book that makes you want to talk to other women about it while walking through a park.

Which is exactly what we’re going to do.

Tuesday, July 22.
DM me to join the WhatsApp group.

It became clear pretty quickly that people don’t want to meet in the dark and walk in the freezing cold. And honestly, who can blame them? It’s been cold as hell here in Brooklyn. So I wanted to offer some alternatives.

I took the question to our WhatsApp group—Where can we walk together without freezing?—and, as usual, the group got creative. There’s a track at the YMCA Park Slope Armory. We could walk a mall like Navy Yard or City Point. Maybe even explore Industry City.

The YMCA Armory stood out right away. It has a wide-lane indoor track and felt like the most straightforward option. I emailed. I called. I followed up. Eventually, I learned we could get day passes for $20.

So when the date arrived, a small group of us—four total—met at the YMCA Park Slope Armory to discuss Sandwich by Catherine Newman.

When I arrived, I signed up for a day pass. A few minutes later, two others joined me and casually mentioned to the membership desk that the fourth person in our group was already a member. To our collective delight, they waved us all through—no extra charge.

And just like that, we walked.

We spent about 50 minutes circling the track, talking about the book. We talked about lies and relationships. Parenting. Creating rituals for our families. Aging parents. And how genuinely pleasurable the book was to read. Between the four of us, we spanned a wide range of life experiences: an empty nester, a childfree woman, a mom of two, and me—with one.

It felt easy. Grounded. Human.

Whether we find our way back to the Y, to a mall, or somewhere else entirely, we’ll keep walking together. And we hope you’ll join us in the new year.

Below are the upcoming dates and books. If any of them speak to you, DM me and I’ll add you to our WhatsApp group.

Our First Walk

Last night, Wednesday, August 27th, we held our very first walk, and it was better than I could have imagined. I arrived 15 minutes early to our meeting spot—Jane’s Carousel in Brooklyn Bridge Park—and snapped a quick photo to share in the group since most of us hadn’t met in person.

One by one, people appeared, each with their own distinct stride, and introduced themselves. Soon the nine of us who had RSVP’d gathered together, chatting easily as if we’d all been waiting for this exact moment. Strangers only minutes before, we were suddenly a community.

We even flagged down a walking photography group and asked them to capture us holding up the book—our first official club photo!

One member surprised us with homemade cookies in the most thoughtful packaging, while I handed out the bookmarks I had designed. It instantly felt special, like a tradition was already forming.

Talking, Walking, Connecting

We began with a simple question: How did you feel about the book?

As we walked, the group naturally split into two paces—fast walkers and strollers—while a few floated between. Conversations circled around the book’s themes:

• How would the parents in the group (most of us!) handle similar situations?

• Would we be upset if a spouse took an action without the family’s permission?

• How did you feel about the characters? There was a majority consensus around the comic relief and unrelenting loyalty of the younger brother, Wolf.

• Another Jewish woman and I found a moment to discuss the antisemitism the family faced and how it felt to read.

And then we found ourselves on one of the piers of Brooklyn Bridge Park that felt like we had entered the woods. We ventured further in and saw a perfect stone talking circle, ideal for us to face each other while engaging in more personal conversation. We discussed how no matter what a woman does in a challenging situation, she doesn’t win.

The book permitted us to share our own stories, and it proved to be the perfect kind of book club read: layered, accessible, and full of angles to debate.

What’s Next

Our conversation wound down when a group of kids arrived with a speaker, filling the air with music. We laughed, packed up, and agreed it was the perfect cue to call it a night.

Everyone left energized and eager for the next walk—where we’ll be reading “James,” by Perceval Everett.

If you’d like to join, here’s the schedule. Just reply here or DM me on Instagram, and I’ll add you to our WhatsApp group.

See you on the next walk. 🌿📚