At our February 23, 2026 meeting, we discussed James by Percival Everett. The group liked reading the classic from James' perspective, but it was outside what they regularly read. Group members were interested in what it might be like to read the story from a female perspective. Overall, they rated it highly, but some members probably won't suggest it to others because it is more literary than what they usually read.

Book Summary: "From America's favorite government teacher, a heartfelt, inspiring portrait of twelve ordinary Americans whose courage formed the character of our country. In The Small and the Mighty, Sharon McMahon proves that the most remarkable Americans are often ordinary people who didn't make it into the textbooks. Not the presidents, but the telephone operators. Not the aristocrats, but the schoolteachers. Through meticulous research, she discovers history's unsung characters and brings their rich, riveting stories to light for the first time. This is a book about what really made America - and Americans - great. McMahon's cast of improbable champions will become familiar friends, lighting the path we journey in our quest to make the world more just, peaceful, good, and free."