This week, we will be reading the novel, "On the Beach." It is a post-apocalyptic novel published during the early Cold War, written by British author Nevil Shute after he emigrated to Australia. The novel details the experiences of a mixed group of people in Melbourne as they await the arrival of deadly radioactive fallout spreading towards them from the Northern Hemisphere, following a nuclear war the previous year. As the radiation approaches, each person deals with impending death differently. The story has been adapted twice as a film and once as a BBC radio broadcast. We will view scenes from the original film as we read the novel. In the film the main character, American Navy Admiral Dwight Tower is portrayed by iconic American actor Gregory Peck - who also portrayed Atticus Finch in "To Kill A Mocking Bird," another great novel Nina has read this year. Today was an introduction to the material and the universal message of this iconic novel that if anything, may be stronger and more relevant today. Nina seems intrigued by the premise of this story and looks forward to reading the novel. As always, I look forward to working with Nina!