Virtual Book Club

Cloud Cuckoo Land (2021)

Reading Period from March-May 2025

Cloud Cuckoo Land (2021) by Anthony Doerr centers on an Ancient Greek codex that links characters from 15th-century Constantinople, present-day Idaho, and a 22nd-century starship. It won the 2022 Grand Prix de Littérature Américaine and was a finalist for the 2021 National Book Award for Fiction.

W&L’s First Year Read

Reading Period from June-August 2025

First-year students traditionally read a selected book before their first semester and engage in discussions with fellow students, faculty, and staff during Orientation Week. This year, parents and friends of first-year W&L students, as well as Virtual Book Club members, are invited to read the book alongside them. This shared experience offers a unique opportunity to learn, discuss, and reflect on important ideas together. Parents and friends can share their thoughts and experiences with the book, fostering meaningful connections with their students as they embark on their college journey. It’s a wonderful way to support and accompany the students you care about as they begin this exciting new chapter.

The Nickel Boys (2019)

Reading Period from September-November 2025

The Nickel Boys (2019) by Colson Whitehead tells the story of the abuse endured by boys at Nickel Academy, a juvenile reformation school based on the real Dozier School that operated for 111 years in Florida. The book deals with questions surrounding the injustice perpetrated by reform schools and the role of both optimism and cynicism in improving such systems. This book will coincide with the 2025 Law and Literature Seminar in Lexington on October 3-4. Consider joining us on campus for this intellectually stimulating event!

Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez

Winner of the Silver Gavel Award from the American Bar Association

Set in 1970s Alabama, Take My Hand is a work of historical fiction inspired by real events. The protagonist, Civil Townsend, is a newly graduated Black nurse who begins working at a family planning clinic. When she’s assigned her first home case, caring for sisters India and Erica Williams, Civil feels responsible to go beyond her nursing duties and address the systemic issues impacting the Williams family. As she becomes more involved in their lives, Civil increasingly questions the ethics of administering Depo-Provera, a contraceptive with concerning side effects, to the young girls. Dolen Perkins-Valdez investigates themes of social and racial inequality and medical ethics, shedding light on a dark chapter of American history to ensure it is not forgotten.

This book was featured for Lifelong Learning’s Law & Literature Weekend on November 1-2, 2024.

The Rabbit Hutch by Tess Gunty

Winner of the 2022 National Book Award

Written by Tess Gunty, The Rabbit Hutch is a coming-of-age, darkly humorous psychological thriller that takes place in fictional Vacca Vale, Indiana. The novel’s protagonist, Blandine Watkins, a former foster child, now lives in an apartment complex called the Rabbit Hutch with roommates Todd, Jack, and Malik. Gunty takes readers on a journey through the lives of these tenants delving into themes such as mental illness, loneliness, and the importance of human connection. As the residents’ lives come together in unique ways, the novel showcases the characters’ struggles and desires.

Prophet Song by Paul Lynch

Winner of the 2023 Booker Prize

What would it take for you to leave everything you know behind? In this dystopian fiction set in near-future Ireland, mother-of-four Eilish Stack must confront this very question. After her husband attends a union protest, he is arrested and held without charge by a new secret police force, marking the beginning of his disappearance. Eilish is torn between fleeing for safety as the nation descends into conflict and waiting for her husband’s return, all while being the sole parental figure for their four children. This novel discusses the impact that political oppression has on families, exploring the moral dilemmas faced during these times.