May 14, 2020
In our last newsletter, we asked readers to share comments about their virtual meetings and how they are staying in touch. I loved reading the ways in which you have quickly pivoted in new directions. There were so many terrific comments that we put them together in a blog post that you can read here. From remote meetings using various technologies to email chains, you are keeping your discussions going --- and we love that.
This month, we have a stellar lineup of books that will make for great discussions. Even if your group is not meeting these days, we are sharing titles that you will want to read now to suggest to the rest of your group later.
Editorial Content for Afterlife
Book
Teaser
Immigrant writer Antonia Vega has just retired from the college where she taught English when her beloved husband, Sam, suddenly dies. And then more jolts: her bighearted but unstable sister disappears, and Antonia returns home one evening to find a pregnant, undocumented teenager on her doorstep.
Promo
Immigrant writer Antonia Vega has just retired from the college where she taught English when her beloved husband, Sam, suddenly dies. And then more jolts: her bighearted but unstable sister disappears, and Antonia returns home one evening to find a pregnant, undocumented teenager on her doorstep.
About the Book
The first adult novel in almost 15 years by the internationally bestselling author of IN THE TIME OF THE BUTTERFLIES and HOW THE GARCIA GIRLS LOST THEIR ACCENTS
Antonia Vega, the immigrant writer at the center of AFTERLIFE, has had the rug pulled out from under her. She has just retired from the college where she taught English when her beloved husband, Sam, suddenly dies. And then more jolts: her bighearted but unstable sister disappears, and Antonia returns home one evening to find a pregnant, undocumented teenager on her doorstep. Antonia has always sought direction in the literature she loves --- lines from her favorite authors play in her head like a soundtrack --- but now she finds that the world demands more of her than words.
AFTERLIFE is a compact, nimble and sharply droll novel. Set in this political moment of tribalism and distrust, it asks: What do we owe those in crisis in our families, including --- maybe especially --- members of our human family? How do we live in a broken world without losing faith in one another or ourselves? And how do we stay true to those glorious souls we have lost?
Editorial Content for Ask Again, Yes
Book
Teaser
ASK AGAIN, YES is a profoundly moving novel about two neighboring families in a suburban town, the friendship between their children, a tragedy that reverberates over four decades, the daily intimacies of marriage, and the power of forgiveness.
Promo
ASK AGAIN, YES is a profoundly moving novel about two neighboring families in a suburban town, the friendship between their children, a tragedy that reverberates over four decades, the daily intimacies of marriage, and the power of forgiveness.
About the Book
How much can a family forgive?
Francis Gleeson and Brian Stanhope, rookie NYPD cops, are neighbors in the suburbs. What happens behind closed doors in both houses --- the loneliness of Francis’ wife, Lena, and the instability of Brian’s wife, Anne --- sets the stage for the explosive events to come.
In Mary Beth Keane's extraordinary novel, a lifelong friendship and love blossoms between Kate Gleeson and Peter Stanhope, born six months apart. One shocking night their loyalties are divided, and their bond will be tested again and again over the next 30 years. Heartbreaking and redemptive, ASK AGAIN, YES is a gorgeous and generous portrait of the daily intimacies of marriage and the power of forgiveness.
Editorial Content for The Book of Longings
Book
Teaser
Grounded in meticulous research and written with a reverential approach to Jesus's life that focuses on his humanity, THE BOOK OF LONGINGS is an inspiring, unforgettable account of one woman's bold struggle to realize the passion and potential inside her, while living in a time, place and culture devised to silence her.
Promo
Grounded in meticulous research and written with a reverential approach to Jesus's life that focuses on his humanity, THE BOOK OF LONGINGS is an inspiring, unforgettable account of one woman's bold struggle to realize the passion and potential inside her, while living in a time, place and culture devised to silence her.
About the Book
An extraordinary story set in the first century about a woman who finds her voice and her destiny, from the celebrated #1 New York Times bestselling author of THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES and THE INVENTION OF WINGS
In her mesmerizing fourth work of fiction, Sue Monk Kidd takes an audacious approach to history and brings her acclaimed narrative gifts to imagine the story of a young woman named Ana. Raised in a wealthy family with ties to the ruler of Galilee, she is rebellious and ambitious, with a brilliant mind and a daring spirit. She engages in furtive scholarly pursuits and writes narratives about neglected and silenced women. Ana is expected to marry an older widower, a prospect that horrifies her. An encounter with 18-year-old Jesus changes everything.
Their marriage evolves with love and conflict, humor and pathos in Nazareth, where Ana makes a home with Jesus, his brothers and their mother, Mary. Ana's pent-up longings intensify amid the turbulent resistance to Rome's occupation of Israel, partially led by her brother, Judas. She is sustained by her fearless aunt Yaltha, who harbors a compelling secret. When Ana commits a brazen act that puts her in peril, she flees to Alexandria, where startling revelations and greater dangers unfold, and she finds refuge in unexpected surroundings. Ana determines her fate during a stunning convergence of events considered among the most impactful in human history.
Grounded in meticulous research and written with a reverential approach to Jesus's life that focuses on his humanity, THE BOOK OF LONGINGS is an inspiring, unforgettable account of one woman's bold struggle to realize the passion and potential inside her, while living in a time, place and culture devised to silence her. It is a triumph of storytelling both timely and timeless, from a masterful writer at the height of her powers.