When I think of celebrity book clubs, I typically think of Reese Witherspoon and Oprah. It didn't occur to me—until Editor-in-Chief Jillian Quint raved about a recent Read with Jenna selection—to look to Jenna Bush Hager for book recos. But I'm glad I did, because her October selection, The Mighty Red by Louise Erdrich (The Night Watchman), is right up my alley.
The Read with Jenna October Book Pick Is So Timely and So Readable
'The Mighty Red' is louise erdrich at her best
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Updated Oct 17, 2024
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Here's the gist: In Argus, North Dakota, a collection of people revolve around a fraught wedding. There's Gary, a terrified young man set to inherit two farms who's desperate to marry Kismet, an impulsive, lapsed Goth. Then there's Hugo, a gentle giant who is also in love with Kismet and determined to steal her from Gary. We also meet Kismet's mother, Crystal, who sees visions of guardian angels and worries for the future.
Set against the speed of climate change, the depletion of natural resources and the economic meltdown of 2008, The Mighty Red is about ordinary people who dream, grow up, fall in love, struggle, endure tragedy and carry bitter secrets.
Of her selection, Bush Hager wrote in a Read with Jenna Instagram post, "Louise Erdrich is a true literary treasure, and she’s done it again in this beautiful novel. 'The Mighty Red' is a journey through a prairie community where love is absurd and splendid, and where the bond with the earth is both tattered and treasured. This is a must-read for your fall list!"
Readers are similarly enthralled. One raves in an Amazon review, "Grieving the book is over. Grateful the book was mine to read while I absorbed the beauty, the reality of small town living, the pain of life. The richness of the characters."
Honestly, I'd expect nothing less from Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award–winning author Erdrich.
