BOOK DISCUSSION
To get you started on your summer reading here are the selections for book discussions next year! Thanks to all who suggested books. The dates and discussants will be in the 23/24 SWC Yearbook. We look forward to having all interested SWC members join us for discussions.
Thursday, November 9, 2023
River of the Gods: Genius, Courage and Betrayal in the Search for the Source of the Nile by Candace Millard
A nonfiction account of the two British explorers and a guide who encounter life-threatening danger, competition, and controversy as they venture into British colonial Africa in the late 1800’s for a contest to find the head of the Nile. 349 pages
Discussant: Julie Carlson
Thursday, January 18, 2024
Horse by Geraldine Brooks
A well-researched and intriguing novel about a prized racehorse named Lexington, who raced in pre-Civil War Kentucky, his owners, and an enslaved jockey. Alternating chapters relate the stories of a present day art historian from Nigeria and a Smithsonian scientist who are researching the horse’s history. 401 pages
Discussant: Fran Nelson
Thursday, February 15, 2024
Ti Amo by Hanne Orstavik
National Book Award for Best Translated Literature. In Norway, one of 25 best novels in the past 25 years. A deeply personal narrative based on Orstavik’s experience of losing her husband to cancer. “Tender, sensitive and beautifully written.“ “Her piercing story sings.” 120 pages
Discussant: Shelby VanMeter
Tuesday, March 26, 2024
Reader, I Murdered Him by Betsy Cornwell
Set in Victorian England, this lush historical thriller features the character Adele from Jane Eyre as she becomes a vigilante seeking revenge for young women who have been abused by suitors. The Irish author, who may join our discussion by Zoom, is a friend of Chair: Leah Gilbert
Thursday, April 25, 2024
West with the Night by Beryl Markham
This is a beautifully written memoir, first published in 1942. Raised in Kenya, Markham worked as a bush pilot. In 1936 she became the first woman to fly the Atlantic solo, nonstop from east to west. In 1984 the memoir was discovered by a former Sausalito restauranteur who had it republished after it had been out of print. It remained on bestseller lists for years. 294 pages
Discussant: Carol Cotton