Saturday Reading Group

The Saturday Reading Group is for anyone who loves to read, socialize in English, and meet new people. For this meeting, the group will read Sleepers by Lorenzo Carcaterra

(Also adapted as a film in 1996) Sleepers is the true story of four young teenagers who live in Hell’s Kitchen, in Manhattan. Just like any other teenagers who are their age, Michaël, Lorenzo, Tommy and John enjoy living in Hell’s Kitchen, where they feel like absolute rulers until one day, when they accidentally kill a man. Following a court decision, the four kids are sent to the Wilkinson Home for Boys, where they will be living the worst ill-treatment in their lives. The guards will go so far as beating and abusing them. A few years later, torture is over and the kids have become adults. Payback time is soon. One night, as Tommy and John enter a bar, in downtown Manhattan, they come across one of the guards from the Wilkinson Home for Boys. They come up to that guard and decide to kill him. They go as far as shooting seven bullets inside the bar itself, where other patrons enjoy their afterwork drinks. From now on, the plot is all about who is going to win, as Tommy and John are sent to court. As strange as it may seem, one of their friends (Michael), who is a lawyer, will not be defending them. Michael will be on the other side (the guard) whereas an alcoholic lawyer will defend the shooters. Why so? Read the book, watch the film and you will learn the whole truth at the very end of the story.

Meetings are once a month on Saturday afternoons starting at 3 pm. Open to all library members. To sign up please contact the group coordinator at bookgroup@ellia.org.