Hello! Welcome to the Bethesda Book Club!
We are so excited for this club. Our hope is, aside from reading lots of great books, to foster connection and conversation through the invisible threads we discover in each story we open.
If you are unfamiliar with the Invisible String theory, it is a fairly popular belief that unseen threads connect people to their destiny, loved ones, or a higher purpose. It is a theme often found in stories, books, films, and songs and therefore seems to speak to something deep in our humanity about guidance, wisdom, fate…. This club is coming partially as an extension from Bethesda’s Hay Festival weekend 2026 where we began to investigate this idea in literature through six semi-classic books and a concept of string that guided the protagonists on their respective journeys. The heart of this book club is hoping to trace the literary, mythical and storytelling power of concepts like invisible string throughout literature, where it intersects with faith, and ultimately the story of our lives.
This club is coming from and through the community at Bethesda Church and therefore, we will naturally talk about faith, especially in relation to our Christian theology and worldview as it comes up in various books. However, being a Christian is not expected for participation in this group and we will not necessarily read only faith adjacent books. We believe that we are all spiritual beings and so questions and thoughts relating to faith are bound to occur in all works of literature. And hints of the greatest story ever told are always found in the best stories. Thinking about and responding to these ideas is a fun part of reading stories! We hope that everyone feels welcome to read, talk about, look for and express all parts of their life in this book club and what comes to mind through the books we read.
Our first book is one from our Hay Festival weekend theme. This one was chosen purposefully as it is short, thus very approachable; and it has a very obvious invisible string theme to kick off this book club. Not all future books will have such an easy connection, so take this one as a bonus.
This book tends to be relegated to the children’s shelves now, but there is much more to it if we give it our time and attention. And hopefully we take C.S. Lewis’ famous words to heart that “some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again.” Let’s dive in!
Prompts for your thoughts about The Princess and the Goblin:
• What role does fear play in this story?
• Reflect on the goblins – their history, what it did to them, and who they are now. Any thoughts?
• Both Curdie and Irene use a form of string to guide them. One is of their own making, the other a gift. What deeper meanings could be drawn from how these end up working for them and how they make them feel?
• How does an Invisible String concept – of being fated to meet or do something or a guide for you to follow make you feel? Is it encouraging? Frustrating? Confusing?
• Have you noticed an Invisible String in your own life?
• MacDonald wrote The Princess and the Goblin almost 80 years before the fantasy genre gained widespread popularity with the works of J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis. Today, the fantasy genre spans several generations and is as varied as any other area of literature. How do you think that MacDonald’s work compares to more modern fantasy novels, movies, and stories? Does this story remind you of any other stories?
Next month…
September book:
The Princess and the Goblin
by George Macdonald
Book Club Discussion Date:
Thursday, 24th September
Time: 7-8:30pm
Where: Caryn’s house in Hay
(contact for directions)
How to Prepare:
1. Read the book!
2. Come to our discussion night.
Three small things that make each meeting better for everyone.
• Have your copy on hand. Whatever edition you own, bring it! (Library book is fine too. Let Caryn know if you need help finding a copy of any book.) If you listen to the audiobook, maybe just jot down a thought or two to share so you remember!
• Mark a spread, passage, or illustration you want to talk about. One quote, page, or section that stopped you, delighted you, angered you, or puzzled you. That is usually where the best discussion starts.
• Have a think about the prompts. No homework, just somewhere for your mind to go and help kickstart our discussion.
