What's better than reading a great book?  Discussing it with other history enthusiasts of course!  Here's your chance: read one or both of the books below and be ready to have a facilitated discussion of the books during the CCHS Annual Meeting!  Both books are available on Amazon.com and at Barnes & Noble.

Friday Book Club 

Juana Briones of Nineteenth-Century California by Jeanne Farr McDonnell
Friday, 4:30pm-5:30pm
Buy on Amazon

Synopsis: Juana Briones de Miranda lived an unusual life, which is wonderfully recounted in this highly accessible biography. She was one of the first residents of what is now San Francisco, then named Yerba Buena (Good Herb), reportedly after a medicinal tea she concocted. She was among the few women in California of her time to own property in her own name, and she proved to be a skilled farmer, rancher, and businesswoman. In retelling her life story, Jeanne Farr McDonnell also retells the history of nineteenth-century California from the unique perspective of this surprising woman.

Saturday Book Club

The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown
Saturday, 5:00pm-6:00pm
Buy on Amazon

Synopsis:  It was an unlikely quest from the start. With a team composed of the sons of loggers, shipyard workers, and farmers, the University of Washington’s eight-oar crew team was never expected to defeat the elite teams of the East Coast and Great Britain, yet they did, going on to shock the world by defeating the German team rowing for Adolf Hitler. The emotional heart of the tale lies with Joe Rantz, a teenager without family or prospects, who rows not only to regain his shattered self-regard but also to find a real place for himself in the world. Drawing on the boys’ own journals and vivid memories of a once-in-a-lifetime shared dream, Brown has created an unforgettable portrait of an era, a celebration of a remarkable achievement, and a chronicle of one extraordinary young man’s personal quest.