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BFF Book Club - The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County with Claire Swinarski (E146)
Description
This episode marks the latest gathering of our BFF Book Club—a monthly celebration of reading, author conversations, and book-loving community. If you enjoy deep-dives into unforgettable stories and chatting with the minds behind them, you’re in the right place!
This month, we’re discussing The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County by Claire Swinarski, an Edgar Award-nominated author of multiple books for both kids and adults. Claire lives in small-town Wisconsin with her husband and three children, where she splits her time between writing and bread dough wrangling.
Episode Highlights:
- How motherhood teaches us to value time and not waste it
- The importance of loving your neighbor and embracing community
- Real-life “funeral ladies” and the comforting food traditions of the Midwest
- Why Claire reads—and how reading enriches her craft
- Her book flight includes the three books that influenced the writing of The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County.
Whether you’ve read the book or just love great conversations about life, literature, and the magic that happens when they meet, this episode is for you.
📚 Next BFF Book Club Meeting: June 1st at 11:30 AM PST
We’ll be joined by Julia Kelly, author of The Dressmakers of London—a heartfelt novel about estranged sisters, a WWII-era dress shop, and the healing power of love, letters, and legacy. 👉 Register Here.
Connect with Claire Swinarski:
Books and authors mentioned in the episode:
- Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief by Wendelin Van Draanen
- The Mitford Affair by Marie Benedict
- I Cheerfully Refuse by Leif Enger
Book Flight
- The Lager Queen of Minnesota by J. Ryan Stradahl
- Maine by J. Courtney Sullivan
- Cloud Cuckoo Landby Anthony Doerr
The BFF Book Club is becoming a family affair! ❤️ This our FREE virtual book club, where we read together each month and have live author chats.
Each Family Book Flight pairs our BFF Book Club pick with:
- One chapter book for growing readers
- One picture book for our littlest readers
- A few family conversation starters + a simple activity
Three books. One common theme.
→ Join us here: https://bookishflights.kit.com/bfffamily
Be sure to join the Bookish Flights community on social media. Happy listening!