Front Porch Book Club

Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart is the oldest book we've discussed on the front porch; it was published in 1958 just as the European colonization of Africa was being dismantled. The book's setting is the beginning of colonization in the 1880's in what is now Nigeria, but was then Igboland. Achebe immerses us deeply into the culture of the Igbo people through the eyes of the esteemed, but highly flawed, Okonkwo. Near the end of the book, British missionaries and courts arrive and Okonkwo must decide how he will save his village and his way of life.

Picking up where Patrick Radden Keefe’s book Empire of Pain left off, journalist Aneri Pattani brings us up to date with the latest developments for Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family. Aneri is KFF Health News' award-winning senior correspondent. For the past two years, Aneri has been following the opioid settlement and the use of settlement funds. In June 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Sackler family could not claim immunity from lawsuits through the bankruptcy filing of their company, Purdue Pharma. This decision means the Sackler family is now vulnerable to civil suits and that the previous $4 billion settlement will likely be renegotiated. It's complicated but Aneri explains it all in a logical and accessible way.

We wanted to learn more about mystery as a genre after reading Richard Osman's The Thursday Murder Club. Lucky for us, Dr. Karen Roggenkamp, professor of Literature and Languages at Texas A & M-Commerce, was available to stop by the Front Porch to talk about mysteries, crime, and mayhem. Karen helps us examine why mysteries are so popular and how the conventions of genre fiction were used in sensational crime reporting in the late 19th and early 20th centuries when women, such as Nellie Bly, broke through barriers of women working in newspaper newsrooms. Karen and Nancy report The Thursday Murder Club sets itself apart from other mysteries in the depth of its characters and the ways the author deals with the loss of physical and mental powers as our beloved main characters live out their final years. Linny had never read a mystery, but loved the book, too!

Murder comes to the Front Porch. But don't worry... this is a cozy murder, so we aren't too concerned that unsavory characters are killed. We are introduced to the members of The Thursday Murder Club: four seniors living in a retirement community who try to stay sharp by solving unsolved murders. But then, murder comes to their retirement home and they are faced with trying to identify the murderer, as even more bodies appear and the case becomes more complicated. It's a fun beach read that will keep you guessing.

Linny and Nancy delve into commentary about Achilles and Patroclus, the main characters in Madeline Miller's retelling of the Iliad in her novel, The Song of Achilles. Miller was inspired to write this book to better understand Achilles' terrible rage when hearing of the death of his friend, Patroclus. Miller writes a story of a loving relationship, but this interpretation is by no means new or universal. Over the centuries, there have been differing interpretations of their relationship with every generation wrestling with what it was and what it means.

This debut novel by Madeline Miller retells the ancient story of Homer's epic poem, The Iliad. This vivid reinterpretation is told from the viewpoint of Petroclus, a minor but pivotal character in The Iliad, but one who is Achilles' close companion. Through Petroclus' eyes we see Achilles grow from gifted boy to the greatest warrior of his generation. But Achilles must balance his goddess-mother's dreams for his immortality with his very human love for Petroclus. Helen of Troy's abduction sets in motion the unstoppable omen portending glory and death for the greatest of the Greeks, Achilles, and Hector. Miller transports readers, even and maybe especially those with no knowledge of The Iliad, to the Greek world where gods and goddesses mingled in human affairs.

Award-winning author Anne Boyd Rioux tells us all about Louisa May Alcott's novel, Little Women. Anne is just the guest because she wrote the nonfiction book Meg, Jo, Beth, Amy: The Story of Little Women and Why It Still Matters. Little Women inspired Anne Napolitano in her writing of Hello Beautiful, our June book. In this wide-ranging conversation, we discover how Little Women's themes are still relevant in the 21st century -- we're still puzzling how to find purpose and be present for family and friends.

Four sisters, one lonely boy. Sounds like Little Women, right? Ann Napolitano thought so, too, when she was about 100 pages into writing what would become her bestselling novel, Hello Beautiful. She realized the similarities and decided to mold the story into a modern-day retelling of the classic. Napolitano's version is set in Chicago and there are enough variations to make this book, Little Woman lover or not, an engaging and surprising read. Nancy, who was young when she discovered Little Women and loved everything about it and the entire series, as well as Linny, who watched a movie adaptation, both were riveted by Napolitano’s brilliant storytelling that really helps us understand entirely new takes on these characters through their lifetimes. It’s a poignant reminder of the ways children cope with both scars and expectations to find their true selves.

Memoirist Ileen Dunivent regales us with stories of her mischievous childhood in Colorado and then Missouri, meeting her great love, Orville, and her amazing ability to make friends and create a full and well-lived life. At 87 years of age, Ileen decided to write the story of her life, longhand on lined notebook paper. The task took 14 months with the result being book (Stories for My Kids: Learning to Yodel and Other Life Lessons) packed with joyful, funny accounts of times gone by. Ileen has not slowed down a bit. She is busy with book signings and has also designed small accessory dwelling units (granny pods), oh, and is writing several more books. You'll love Ileen as much as we do.