Book Club

Dreams From My Father by Barack Obama

Propelled by a desire to understand both the forces that shaped him and his father’s legacy, Barack moves to Chicago to work as a community organizer. There, against the backdrop of tumultuous political and racial conflict, he works to turn back the mounting despair of the inner city. His story becomes one with those of the people he works with as he learns about the value of community, the necessity of healing old wounds, and the possibility of faith in the midst of adversity.

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

As a young man, Jacob Jankowski was tossed by fate onto a rickety train that was home to the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. It was the early part of the great Depression, and for Jacob, now ninety, the circus world he remembers was both his salvation and a living hell.

The Human Comedy by William Saroyan

A novel of an American family in wartime. Members of the Macauley family find their peaceful existence in rural California greatly changed in the early months of 1942.

The Man Who Loved China by Simon Winchester

A portrait of the mid-twentieth-century scientist and adventurer traces his British government mission to China, his love affair with visiting student Lu Gwei-Djen, and his pivotal influence on the Western world's understanding of China's culture and history.

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz

Living with an old-world mother and rebellious sister, an urban New Jersey misfit dreams of becoming the next J. R. R. Tolkien and believes that a long-standing family curse is thwarting his efforts to find love and happiness.

Rosewater and Soda Bread by Marsha Mehran

The arrival of a mysterious young woman in possession of a dark secret has a profound impact on the lives of the inhabitants of Ballinacroagh, including the three Aminpour sisters, each of whom is going through her own transformation.

Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson

The book traces how the author, having been rescued and resuscitated by Himalayan villagers after a failed attempt to climb K2, worked to build schools that would particularly benefit the young girls who were forbidden an education by Taliban restrictions, an endeavor for which his life has been repeatedly threatened.

Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald

A story of Americans living on the French Riviera in the 1930s is a portrait of psychological disintegration as a wealthy couple supports friends and hangers-on financially and emotionally at the cost of their own stability.

Loving Frank by Nancy Horan

Fact and fiction blend in a historical novel that chronicles the relationship between seminal architect Frank Lloyd Wright and Mamah Cheney, from their meeting in Oak Park, Illinois, when they were each married to another, to the clandestine affair that shocked Chicago society.

One Book Program - Book To Be Announced

Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin

An analysis of Abraham Lincoln's political talents identifies the character strengths and abilities that enabled his successful election above three accomplished candidates, in an account that also describes how he used the same abilities to rally former opponents in forming his cabinet and winning the Civil War.

Funny in Farsi by Firoozeh Dumas

An affectionate autobiography of growing up as an Iranian-American describes the author's family's 1971 move from Iran to Southern California, the engaging members of her diverse family, and their struggle with culture shock, including the mysteries of American English and American traditions.