Say Less Bestie: Wednesday, March 4th, 2026

Alison Pataki's historical novel explores the life and legacy of Marjorie Merriweather Post, blending factual events with novelistic invention to illuminate a gilded-age socialite and businesswoman. The book traces Post's personal relationships, societal influence, and the building of her fortune, while providing period detail and character-driven narrative. Pataki is known for dramatizing real women's lives with swirly, accessible storytelling, making historical figures relatable to modern readers. Themes include wealth, power, social expectations, and the costs of public life for women in the early 20th century. The novel situates Post within American high society while examining her agency and contradictions as a prominent cultural figure.

Demon Copperhead is a powerful and emotionally engaging novel that tells the story of Damon Fields, a boy born to a teenage single mother in a trailer home in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia. The novel, inspired by Charles Dickens' 'David Copperfield', follows Demon's journey through the challenges of foster care, child labor, derelict schools, athletic success, addiction, and disastrous loves. Kingsolver vividly portrays the opioid epidemic's impact on rural communities and explores themes of love, survival, and the transformative power of storytelling. The narrative is delivered through Demon's unsparing and authentic voice, which brings to life the harsh realities and the resilience of the people in Appalachia.