IHSI Book Club – January 2026 January 15th - The Prince by Niccolo MachiavelliSummaryWith The Prince, Machiavelli made his name synonymous with intrigue and cunning for all time. His instructions to the Prince, on achieving and maintaining power, by any and all means available, became the archetypical philosophy of The Ends Justify The Means.Club & […]
IHSI Book Club – February 2026 February 18th - Hope: The Autobiography by Pope FrancisSummaryPope Francis originally intended this exceptional memoir to appear only after his death, but the needs of our times and the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope moved him to make this precious legacy available sooner. Now, the book stands as his […]
IHSI Book Club – March 2026 March 18th - Spartacus by Aldo SchiavoneSummarySchiavone transports us to Italy in the first century BCE, where the pervasive institution of slavery dominates all aspects of Roman life. In this historic landscape, carefully reconstructed by the author, we encounter Spartacus, who is enslaved after deserting from the Roman army […]
IHSI Book Club – April 2026 April 15th – The View from Lake Como by Adriana TrigianiSummaryA transportive, jet-setting story following a woman’s journey to her ancestral land while grappling with family tensions and a broken heart. Funny, endearing and empathetic.Club & Book Discussion Leader: Ray Brown ([email protected])Format: Lunch & Socialize @ 12pm; book discussion […]
IHSI Book Club – May 2026 May 20th – The Marble Faun by Nathaniel HawthorneSummaryMarble Faun is a two-volume romance by Nathaniel Hawthorne, his final complete novel published prior to his death. Set in a fantasy version of 19th century Italy, Marble Faun mixes elements of a fable, pastoral, gothic novel, and travelogue.Club & Book […]
IHSI Book Club – June 2026 June 17th – Century by Fred Mustard Stewart*** Read 280 pages or until end of chapter ***SummaryAn entire century is carved into a passionate epic novel that sweeps from Sicilian prison cells to Fifth Avenue mansions. From Brooklyn to Hollywood, this is the story of an indomitable Italian family […]
IHSI Book Club – July 2026 July 15th – Century by Fred Mustard Stewart*** Continued from prior month; read pages 280 to 560 ***SummaryAn entire century is carved into a passionate epic novel that sweeps from Sicilian prison cells to Fifth Avenue mansions. From Brooklyn to Hollywood, this is the story of an indomitable Italian family […]
IHSI Book Club – August 2026 August 19th – Church of Spies by Mark RieblingSummaryThe heart-pounding history of how Pope Pius XII — often labeled "Hitler's Pope" — was in fact an anti-Nazi spymaster, plotting against the Third Reich during World War II.Club & Book Discussion Leader: Ray Brown ([email protected])Format: Lunch & Socialize @ 12pm; […]
IHSI Book Club – September 2026 September 16th – The Longest Echo by Eoin DempseySummaryAgainst the backdrop of WWII-ravaged Italy comes a powerful and emotional novel of love, survival, justice, and second chances.Club & Book Discussion Leader: Ray Brown ([email protected])Format: Lunch & Socialize @ 12pm; book discussion follows.RSVP ([email protected]) appreciated, but not required.No cost to […]
IHSI Book Club – October 2026 October 21st – The Tartar Steppe by Dino BuzzetiSummaryAn allegorical novel which reflects on the nature of time and human existence. It follows the life of a newly-qualified army lieutenant, Giovanni Drogo, as he heads off to his first posting at a gloomy fortress on the edge of the […]
