Book Club

October Book:

The Personal History of Rachel Dupree by Ann Weisgarber

Praised by Alice Walker and many other bestselling writers, The Personal History of Rachel DuPree is an award-winning debut novel with incredible heart about life on the prairie as it’s rarely been seen. Reminiscent of The Color Purple, as well as the frontier novels of Laura Ingalls Wilder and Willa Cather, it opens a window on the little-known history of African American homesteaders and gives voice to an extraordinary heroine who embodies the spirit that built America.

In 1903, Rachel gave up her 160 acres from the Homestead Act so her husband could double his share. Fourteen years later, Rachel is pregnant in the middle of the South Dakota Badlands during one of the worst droughts to date. Her husband is stubborn, her children are hungry, and their ranch may not survive, but Rachel is determined to do what is necessary to survive.