”We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves” by Karen Joy Fowler was the October selection of the Lakewood book club, The Book Trotters. 

Set in 1970s Indiana, 5-year-old Rose Mary was suddenly sent to visit her paternal grandparents.  With a child’s apprehension, not only did she fear that she would never return to her hone and family, ("I knew the winds of doom when they blew," she recalled), but she was separated from her beloved “twin” sister, Fern. 

It was later in the book when we learned that Fern was actually a chimpanzee and the imposed “sisterhood” was an experiment — to determine the outcome of the ape when raised as a human in a family environment. 

Book club members were “beside themselves” with enthusiasm for the read and the story evoked a lively discussion with varying opinions. 

The group met at their usual meeting place, Times Ten Cellar, but broke with tradition in food selection.  Hostess Lynda Collier chose to celebrate Hispanic Heritage month rather than foods of the region where the story took place.  The result was delicious tamales and other Latin influenced foods.

The group will gather at the table at Times Ten in Lakewood again next month to discuss the November read.