The Boy, the Wolf, the Sheep and the Lettuce - Alan & Jessica Ahlberg Kath, loved it. A 'connection' to treasure.

Oh, thanks everyone, for all the suggestions, which are terrific! I'll add these to my list. It'll give the group a chance to make selections if they accept my proposal. To Kill a Mockingbird would indeed make an excellent addition, as will The March, Red Badge of Courage, and The Souls of Black Folks. Someone Knows My Name sounds terrific--I read a synopsis. Thank you all! CMK, yes, the Diary of a Slave Girl was from the Dear America series. It does sound good. My sister-in-law loves reading Young Adult fiction (she got an undergraduate degree in Literature from Stanford) so at least the books don't go to waste if some adults are reading them. Thanks for the warning about Uncle Tom's Cabin. I knew that Beloved had that terrible death of the daughter, and my friend would not be able to read it. It sounds like I'll have to read Uncle Tom's Cabin on my own--or maybe I'll convinced my OTHER book group to read it! I really appreciate these suggestions and welcome any others that might spring to mind. K

I agree with the points that both of you made. None of the factors which made marriages with such age differences a practical choice existed in this particular relationship. However, in a society where such relationships were common and accepted, no one was likely to blink when someone who didn't have a practical reason for it also made that choice. It looked normal to them. About Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn, I don't like such editing. Books reflect their times, and readers should understand this. Besides, I don't think of them as racist. Yes, they do use language which we no longer tolerate, but it was standard practice at the time. Omitting it is a distortion. I do understand that I might have a different emotional reaction to that language if I had different life experiences. Anyway I have long thought that the runaway slave Jim is the real hero of Huck Finn. For all his humility, he is far smarter, wiser, and far more moral than Huck. In his parochial ignorance Huck looks down on Jim, but that says more about Huck than it does about Jim. And in the end, even he comes to value Jim's qualities.

Annie, here is our complete list from the 2015 'season' with my assessments:) The Boston Girl - didn't finish it, so boring and cliche I could not take it anymore after first few chapters The Martian - LOVED it! Definitely recommend for a book club; you need not have a smidgeon of technology interest or know how to get sucked into this well written story A Manual for Cleaning Women - I was the only one who finished this book; well written but one of the most depressing books I've read in years (it was my book too!) The Last Chinese Chef - excellent; nice blend of easy reading with some good solid thematic work on families, culture clash, belonging and finding one's passion In the Midst of Life - also very good; a somewhat challenging to find book written by a woman who was a nurse in England in the 50s-60s; deals with death and has a lot of wisdom and a very common sense though caring voice The Nightingale and The Girl on the Train - both popular fave choices. Detested The Nightingale, what a potboiler (romance novelist does WWII, nuff said). Enjoyed TGOT but it was pure formula, done well but nothing to write home about Turn Right at Machu Picchu - wonderful, wasn't at all sure I wanted to read it but a great mix of travel, history and a very funny wry narrating voice