Community Reading Program

We always hope that One Read participants make connections with each other, enjoy celebrating the power of a book and learn something in the process. Columbia resident Patty Jo Long attended a One Read book discussion of “The Tiger’s Wife,” and she felt moved to write about experiencing a little bit of magic. She graciously agreed to allow us to share some of her words with you, and part of her essay appears below. (Please note that her essay includes a few plot spoilers if you have not yet finished the book.)

I went to a meeting yesterday–I don’t go to meetings often because–because I don’t like them. But there are exceptions for all things. What lay ahead for me was a glorious example. I was at the library to pick up a couple of books I had on reserve and ran into a friend–then another friend appeared, then a third, all coincidentally–it was fate. They were all headed for the meeting and quite persuasive in their arguments for me to go, too. The topic was Columbia’s One Read book, “The Tiger’s Wife…”

The group of thirty or so eagerly jumped right in, no one monopolized, and almost everyone had something to say. It reminded me of a long ago college English class I sat in on conducted by a professor I admired who had the shyest freshman in the back row responding enthusiastically within fifteen minutes. Read More →

Our first post for the One Read online book club is up over at the Columbia Tribune’s website. Reading these plot summaries and discussion questions is helpful if you haven’t yet read “The Tiger’s Wife” or if you read the book earlier this year but want to refresh your memory in preparation for the book discussions and other great programs we have coming up in September. (By the way, this list of programs is now online as well, with our print program soon to follow.)

Enjoy!

If reading “The Tiger’s Wife” never quite made it to the top of your summer to-do list, you can read plot summaries and discussion questions that will be part of the Columbia Daily Tribune’s One Read book club or listen to the audiobook broadcast on KOPN.

Starting Monday, August 20, weekly posts on the on the Art Axis blog will outline a portion of the novel and pose questions to stimulate further conversation. Join in by posting your comments and engaging with other readers.

If you want to experience the entire novel, listen to the book in 30-minute segments on KOPN (89.5 FM) every weekday from 1:00 to 1:30 p.m. starting August 24. (No broadcast on Monday, September 3, Labor Day.)

There is a way for every reader to participate in this year’s One Read program. We hope you will join us!