From Strangers to Community: Our First BK Walking Book Club Adventure
How a simple idea turned a WhatsApp chat into a 50-person walking book club—and why our first walk felt like magic.
Two months ago, I picked up a wonderful book, “Hazel Says No,” and found myself wanting to discuss it. So I tossed an idea into a few parenting WhatsApp groups: would anyone be interested in a walking book club? A handful of people said yes. I didn’t overthink it—I made a WhatsApp group. Within weeks, nearly 50 people joined. And just like that, the BK Walking Book Club was born.
Our First Walk
Last night, Wednesday, August 27th, we held our very first walk, and it was better than I could have imagined. I arrived 15 minutes early to our meeting spot—Jane’s Carousel in Brooklyn Bridge Park—and snapped a quick photo to share in the group since most of us hadn’t met in person.
One by one, people appeared, each with their own distinct stride, and introduced themselves. Soon the nine of us who had RSVP’d gathered together, chatting easily as if we’d all been waiting for this exact moment. Strangers only minutes before, we were suddenly a community.
We even flagged down a walking photography group and asked them to capture us holding up the book—our first official club photo!
One member surprised us with homemade cookies in the most thoughtful packaging, while I handed out the bookmarks I had designed. It instantly felt special, like a tradition was already forming.
Talking, Walking, Connecting
We began with a simple question: How did you feel about the book?
As we walked, the group naturally split into two paces—fast walkers and strollers—while a few floated between. Conversations circled around the book’s themes:
How would the parents in the group (most of us!) handle similar situations?
Would we be upset if a spouse took an action without the family’s permission?
How did you feel about the characters? There was a majority consensus around the comic relief and unrelenting loyalty of the younger brother, Wolf.
Another Jewish woman and I found a moment to discuss the antisemitism the family faced and how it felt to read.
And then we found ourselves on one of the piers of Brooklyn Bridge Park that felt like we had entered the woods. We ventured further in and saw a perfect stone talking circle, ideal for us to face each other while engaging in more personal conversation. We discussed how no matter what a woman does in a challenging situation, she doesn’t win.
The book permitted us to share our own stories, and it proved to be the perfect kind of book club read: layered, accessible, and full of angles to debate.
What’s Next
Our conversation wound down when a group of kids arrived with a speaker, filling the air with music. We laughed, packed up, and agreed it was the perfect cue to call it a night.
Everyone left energized and eager for the next walk—where we’ll be reading “James,” by Perceval Everett.
If you’d like to join, here’s the schedule. Just reply here or DM me on Instagram, and I’ll add you to our WhatsApp group.
See you on the next walk. 🌿📚
Thank you so so much for reading Hazel!
Thank you so much for organizing this! I had so much fun and am looking super forward to the next walk!