Historical novels tell interesting stories about a time, place, and people living there. Authors do extensive research so their writing accurately reflects the history. Using Helen Simonson's THE HAZELBOURNE LADIES MOTORCCYCLE AND FLYING CLUB as the launching point, this class will offer a one-hour look at the history of England after World War I and the Spanish Influenza pandemic, emphasizing rapidly changing political, economic, and social realities. We will then spend an hour discussing the novel as contemporary literature. Readers and history buffs welcome! Please read the novel before class.

Moderators: Stan and Diane Henderson are avid readers--Stan reads history, Diane fiction. In other lives, they would have been history and English professors. Now they team up to share their passions with us. Pre-retirement, Stan was Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management and Student Life at the Univ. of Michigan-Dearborn, and Diane an educational program planner/consultant. Both are failing retirement.