April 2025
The Scandinavia Public Library book group will meet on Tuesday, April 22 to discuss “Victory City” by Salman Rushdie.
Fika (beverages and treats) begins at 3:40 p.m. with the discussion following at 4:00 p.m..
Copies of the book are available to pick up at the library, or you can place a hold through Infosoup.
You can find this event on Facebook.
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NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The epic tale of a woman who breathes a fantastical empire into existence, only to be consumed by it over the centuries—from the transcendent imagination of Booker Prize–winning, internationally bestselling author Salman Rushdie
“In the wake of an unimportant battle between two long-forgotten kingdoms in fourteenth-century southern India, nine-year-old Pampa Kampana has a divine encounter that will change the course of history: She becomes a vessel for a goddess, who begins to speak out of the girl’s mouth. Granting her powers beyond Pampa Kampana’s comprehension, the goddess tells her that she will help create a great city called Bisnaga — “victory city” — the wonder of the world.
“Over the next two hundred and fifty years, Pampa Kampana’s life becomes deeply interwoven with Bisnaga’s, from its literal sowing out of a bag of magic seeds to its tragic ruination in the most human of ways: the hubris of those in power. Whispering Bisnaga and its citizens into existence, Pampa Kampana attempts to make good on the task that the goddess set for her: to give women equal agency in a patriarchal world. But all stories have a way of getting away from their creator, and Bisnaga is no exception…
“Brilliantly styled as a translation of an ancient epic, this is a saga of love, adventure, and myth that is in itself a testament to the power of storytelling.”
Salman Rushdie is one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People of the Year
“‘Victory City’ is a triumph—not because it exists, but because it is utterly enchanting.”—The Atlantic
A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: The New York Times Book Review, The New Yorker, Time, NPR, The Washington Post, Chicago Public Library, Polygon, The Globe and Mail, Bookreporter
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Book Group meets on the fourth Tuesday of each month from January through November. We do not meet in December. Watch our website calendar or our Facebook page for the most recent updates!
We read books across most genres as well as some non-fiction. Anyone is welcome to attend who has read, or is interested in, the current month’s book and would like to participate in friendly discussion. Members are welcome to attend one meeting or all of them as their interests and schedules permit.