by Rod Jones
The Letâs Talk About It, Oklahoma book discussion series at Oklahoma City University will continue with âThe Secret Life of Beesâ by Sue Monk Kidd at 7 p.m. Oct. 27 in Walker Center room 151.
The discussion series is titled âHope Amidst Hardship.â It is made possible through a grant from the Oklahoma Humanities Council. At each session in the five-part series, a humanities scholar makes a presentation on the book in the context of the theme. Small group discussions follow with experienced discussion leaders. At the end, all participants come together for a brief wrap-up.
âThe Secret Life of Beesâ is set in a South Carolina town in 1964 and is about Lily, a 14-year-old who has always feared that she was the cause of her motherâs death. Raised by an uncaring father, the only love she finds is from the familyâs African-American maid Rosaleen. In this problematic novel about race and female power, Lily must journey to discover what family means and to find love.
Those who are interested in participating in the discussion are encouraged to preregister and borrow the reading selections and theme brochure by calling Harbour Winn at 405-208-5472, e-mailing him at [email protected] or dropping by the Dulaney-Browne Library room 211 or 207.
Winn, director of the Center for Interpersonal Study through Film & Literature at OCU, hopes the series will help participants find a âcommonality of hope and perseverance.â
âRecognizing ourselves in others, even as we read of hardship, is a major reason we find reading enjoyable,â Winn said. âHardship comes in many varieties, and the books in this series offer varied examples but present a common theme: there is hope along the way. Sometimes this hope comes from deep within ourselves. Sometimes it comes from others in unexpected ways.â
The final book discussion in the series will be Nov. 10 on âTuesdays with Morrieâ by Mitch Albom.
