Oxford, Mississippi, in 1933 during the Great Depression, is not such a great place for many girls and women: in particular, eleven-year-old Margot “Meg” Louise LeFleur suffering in the Lafayette County Orphan Asylum since was nine; and unmarried twenty-four-year-old Birdie Calhoun, “churchy and chinless” who comes to town to ask her well-married sister for financial assistance for their mother and grandmother.  The novel, the author’s second book (her first was The Help, 2009, set in her hometown of Jackson, Mississippi) weaves the storylines together in a satisfying way.  Please read the book so you can participate in our structured, facilitated Zoom discussion.

In 1950s Tehran, two young girls form a deep friendship across social classes, but their bond faces challenges as they navigate Iran's political turmoil during the decades leading up to and through the Iranian Revolution.  This 2024 novel was a New York Times bestseller.  Please read the book so you can participate in our discussion.

“Once upon a time, I was meandering down the road of life with my husband, Jon. It was a regular and beige life, and it worked.  It was a warm beige.  We felt, and were, blessed and lucky.  Normal.”  Sometimes life events catapult people out of the “normal”.  When the author’s oldest child, and only son, was injured and kidnapped from the Nova Music Festival by Hamas on 7 October 2023, she left her job as an educator to focus on advocating for the Israeli hostages’ release from Gaza.  Her voice was compelling enough to be heard by the world: she spoke with journalists; with world leaders President Biden and Pope Francis; at the United Nations; and at the Democratic National Convention.  Her writing is also compelling.  Please read the book so you can participate in our structured, facilitated Zoom discussion.

Until the 1970s, if you suffered a medical crisis, your chances of survival were minimal.  This is the extraordinary story of a forgotten group of Black men in Pittsburgh who became the first paramedics in America, saving lives and changing the course of emergency medicine around the world. Please read the book so you can participate in our discussion.

Did you read the 2001 prize-winning novel, Life of Pi?  The author has written another deeply philosophical work.  A classicist discovers an unknown piece of Greek poetry, illuminating the Trojan War from the perspective of an ordinary soldier rather than a military leader.  The classicist’s recounting of his own life and its extremes are woven throughout.  For fans of either philosophical or historical fiction – this book’s for you!  Please read the book so you can participate in our structured, facilitated Zoom discussion.

A reclusive journalist is suddenly thrown into a wild, suspenseful journey to rescue his kidnapped grandchildren. This is a fun read about serious topics. Please read the book so you can participate in our discussion.

Ann Patchett does it again; and as we have for her last three novels, we at Oasis are so ready to discuss her latest again.  The author incorporates her life experience of having a father and two stepfathers into the plot; families can very complicated.  Long-married Daphne and Jonathan encounter her first stepfather at the Metropolitan Museum of Art by chance, and their lives change.  Even though Daphne had not seen him for almost forty-five years, their “hearts were forever stitched together.”  Please read the book so you can participate in our structured, facilitated Zoom discussion.