March is Women’s History Month. This year, we’re organizing our first bookstore group read — think of it as a one-time, one-book book club — in recognition of it. Our selection for the group read is Book of Ages: The Life and Opinions of Jane Franklin. The work by Jill Lepore — American historian and journalist on faculty at Harvard University, staff writer at The New Yorker, and author of more than a dozen books — was published in 2013. It was a National Book Award finalist and New York Times Notable Book. It’s a tour-de-force that is simultaneously “a fascinating look at early America, a meditation on one remarkable mind by another, and, implicitly, a biography of all the other Janes—history’s anonymous and overlooked women” (New York Magazine).

With this post we are formally announcing the group read. We have a large stack of copies of the book at The NewSouth Bookstore awaiting purchase ($19). Those wishing to participate may take January through early April to read the book. We will gather for discussion in the bookstore on April 23 at 5:30pm. Sign-up is suggested: jessala.white@newsouthbookstore.com. All are invited, irrespective of sex/gender. Thank you for considering this announcement your personal invitation to be part of what will be an exciting Women’s History Month event!