Jenna Bush Hager's Read With Jenna book club pick for March, "Writers & Lovers" by Lily King, is the story of a young woman named Casey Peabody. Single and struggling to make it as a writer, Casey finds herself reevaluating her priorities in both her career and her love life after the unexpected death of her mother. As Casey stares down the abyss between youth and adulthood, she realizes what is really important to her in every aspect of her life.
If you loved this coming-of-age story, you'll love these recommendations from author Lily King. While they are all unique, each story has elements of Casey's struggle to find love, establish her career and build her dream life.
1. "The Revisioners" by Margaret Wilkerson Sexton
"The Revisioners" is a story that mixes time and place to show how history can have lasting effects in the present.
As a former slave, Josephine is proud to be the owner of a farm in 1924. When her white neighbor, Charlotte, seeks her friendship, Josephine's family is put at risk by Charlotte's affiliation with the Ku Klux Klan.
Nearly a century later, Josephine's descendant, Ava, moves in with her white grandmother after losing her job. Ava's lonely grandmother Martha agrees to pay Ava for companionship, but before long, Martha's behavior becomes threatening. Despite hundreds of years between them, Ava and Josephine's stories begin to converge.
This novel is a powerful exploration of female relationships, family bonds and hope.
2. "Such a Fun Age" by Kiley Reid
Reese Witherspoon's book club pick for January, "Such a Fun Age," is a provocative novel that explores themes of race and privilege in modern-day American society.
Alix Chamberlain is a driven, well-off, white woman who recently moved from New York City to the suburbs of Pennsylvania. With a self-made business to run and a book in the works, Alix hires Emira Tucker, a 25-year-old black woman still figuring out what she wants to do with her life, to babysit her two children.
One night, Emira is confronted in the grocery store and accused of stealing Alix's 2-year-old daughter, Briar. The incident is filmed and makes all parties involved feel extremely uncomfortable. Alix wants to make things right, but Emira wants to forget about the entire mess.
When it comes to light that someone from Alix's past was involved in the incident, both women find themselves on a path they could have never anticipated.
3. "Normal People" by Sally Rooney
Connell and Marianne have nearly nothing in common except for the small town they grew up in. Yet something life-changing happens when the two strike up an electrifying conversation for the first time.
After high school, both students head to Dublin to study at Trinity College. They are continually drawn back together at the university, despite existing in different social circles. Their inexplicable bond is tested as each of them veer off course. As things get tough, they discover how far they are willing to go for one another.
This romance novel beautifully explores the dynamics of young love, class and the power a single relationship can hold in one's life.
4. "Clever Girl" by Tessa Hadley
A story told through a series of episodes, "Clever Girl" is about the life of an English woman named Stella. The novel moves from the 1960s to today, as it explores family relationships, broken dreams and the beauty of ordinary life.
Hadley uses vivid language to bring mundane details to life. If you enjoyed the coming-of-age nature of "Writers & Lovers," you won't be able to put down this novel.
5. "The Transit of Venus" by Shirley Hazzard
"The Transit of Venus" follows the lives of two sisters, Caroline and Grace Bell, after they move from Australia to postwar England. The orphaned siblings’ lives are defined by time periods and the places they live. Caroline, the bold and adventurous sibling, finds love in a passionate relationship while her more mild sister, Grace, finds a seemingly happy marriage. However, over the course of several decades, both will experience love and loss that feels as predestined as the planets.
Hazzard's writing is thoughtful and transcendent in this powerful novel.
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For more #ReadWithJenna selections, take a look back at all of Jenna's book club picks. Also, check out the Read With Jenna page.
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