Join fellow fiction enthusiasts to discuss critically acclaimed novels. This class focuses on The Emperor of Gladness (2025) by Ocean Vuong
Set in Connecticut, a nineteen-year-old boy on the verge of suicide is interrupted and befriended by an elderly widow succumbing to dementia. He becomes her caretaker, working at a diner to support them both, and his fellow diner workers become his unexpected family, united by circumstance on the fringes of society. Poetic, dramatic, profound, and moving, this fiction was one of the most highly anticipated releases for 2025 and is an Oprah Book Club pick.