The group meets on the 3rd Thursday of the month at 1pm in the Conference Room at the Jewish Federation of Omaha. Contact our Library Specialist by email or phone (402) 334-6464.
November 15, 1979 marked the debut of the Jewish Federation Library Book Discussion Group, later renamed the “Dorothy Kaplan Book Discussion Group.” In association with the Jewish Federation of Omaha Library, a group of dedicated women, including the late “library diva” Dorothy Kaplan z”l, began the club. It is believed that throughout the country this is the oldest Jewish book group in continuous existence. The group selects books with Jewish content and/or books written by Jewish authors which are designed to appeal to readers of different ages and tastes. With the diversity of topics – everything from poetry and mysteries to science fiction and biographies – and with occasional guest facilitators, including authors, today’s “Dorothy Kaplan Book Group” offers something for everyone. The group welcomes new members.
The Dorothy Kaplan Book Group meets on the third Thursday of the month at 1pm in the Wiesman Family Reception Room at the Jewish Federation of Omaha. There is no cost to join and there is always an insightful exchange of observations, opinions and critiques during the group meetings.
Contact our Library Specialist by email or phone (402) 334-6464.
Beautiful Little Fools by Jillian Cantor
On a sultry August day in 1922, Jay Gatsby is shot dead in his West Egg swimming pool. To the police, it appears to be an open-and-shut case of murder/suicide when the body of George Wilson, a local mechanic, is found in the woods nearby.
Then a diamond hairpin is discovered in the bushes by the pool, and three women fall under suspicion. Each holds a key that can unlock the truth to the mysterious life and death of this enigmatic millionaire.
Daisy Buchanan once thought she might marry Gatsby—before her family was torn apart by an unspeakable tragedy that sent her into the arms of the philandering Tom Buchanan.
Jordan Baker, Daisy’s best friend, guards a secret that derailed her promising golf career and threatens to ruin her friendship with Daisy as well.
Catherine McCoy, a suffragette, fights for women’s freedom and independence, and especially for her sister, Myrtle Wilson, who’s trapped in a terrible marriage.
Their stories unfold in the years leading up to that fateful summer of 1922, when all three of their lives are on the brink of unraveling. Each woman is pulled deeper into Jay Gatsby’s romantic obsession, with devastating consequences for all of them.
Jillian Cantor revisits the glittering Jazz Age world of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, retelling this timeless American classic from the women’s perspective. Beautiful Little Fools is a quintessential tale of money and power, marriage and friendship, love and desire, and ultimately the murder of a man tormented by the past and driven by a destructive longing that can never be fulfilled.
March | The Paris Daughter by Kristin Harmel
May | Adult Assembly Required by Abbi Waxman
Jan | Mr. Perfect on Paper by Jean Meltzer
Feb | The Auschwitz Detective by Jonathan Dunsky
Mar | The Stranger in the Lifeboat by Mitch Albom
May | Not Quite Kosher by Stuart Kaminsky
June | The Dinner Party by Brenda Janowitz
July | The Outside World by Tova Mirvis
August | An Unorthodox Match by Naomi Ragen
September | Fifth Avenue Glamor Girl by Renee Rosen
October | Half Life by Jillian Cantor
Feb | As Close to Us as Breathing by Elizabeth Poliner
Mar | We were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter
May | You and Me and Us by Alison Hammer
Jun | The Yid: A Novel by Paul Goldberg
Jul | Goodnight Nobody by Jennifer Weiner
Aug | The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris
Sep | Queen for a Day by Maxine Rosaler
Nov | Ethel Rosenberg: An American Tragedy by Anne Sebba
Dec | A Jewish Girl in Paris by Melanie Levensohn
