The Women of the West Book Discussion Group has met every second Saturday of the month since June 1998, when we formed under the auspices of the Women of the West Museum, then based in Boulder. Though the Museum sold its holdings to the Autry Museum of the American West in California, our group continues to explore “her place in history” through novels, non-fiction, essays, poetry and theater. The group had its last meeting on December 13, 2014. An offshoot group, Western Views continues to meet at the Main Library. The Monday Women of the West Group is still going strong.


    2014 Schedule:
January 11: LETTERS FROM BERLIN: A STORY OF WAR, SURVIVAL AND THE REDEEMING POWER OF LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP, by Kerstin Lieff (author present)
February 8: FAIRYLAND: A MEMOIR OF MY FATHER, by Alysia Abbott
March 8: A BUSHEL'S WORTH: AN ECOBIOGRAPHY, by Kayann Short (author present)
April 12: “Meneseteung”, “Differently”, “Friend of My Youth”, and “Carried Away” from SELECTED STORIES, by Alice Munro
May 10: THE BLUE TATTOO: THE LIFE OF OLIVE OATMAN, by Margo Mifflin
June 14: ROWING TO LATITUDE: JOURNEYS ALONG THE ARCTIC'S EDGE, by Jill Fredston
July 12: THE JOY LUCK CLUB by Amy Tan
August 9: STIFF: THE CURIOUS LIVES OF HUMAN CADAVERS, by Mary Roach
September 13: THE LANGUAGE OF FLOWERS, by Vanessa Diffenbaugh
October 11: MINK RIVER, by Brian Doyle
November 8: THE BUDDHA IN THE ATTIC, by Julie Otsuka
December 13: “What are masterpieces and why are there so few of them?”, by Gertrude Stein
    Note: Online at http://www.sackett.net/SteinMasterpieces.pdf.

2013:
January 12: OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS: A JOURNAL OF MY SON'S FIRST YEAR, by Anne Lamott
February 9: AMERICAN CHICA: TWO WORLDS, ONE CHILDHOOD, by Marie Arana
March 9: MANKILLER: A CHIEF AND HER PEOPLE, by Wilma Mankiller and Michael Wallis
April 13: THE MOUNTAIN LION, by Jean Stafford
May 11: FULL BODY BURDEN: GROWING UP IN THE NUCLEAR SHADOW OF ROCKY FLATS, by Kristen Iversen
June 8: THE FORGETTING TREE, by Tatjana Soli
July 13: “The Winds of Marble Arch”, “Fire Watch”, and “Jack” from THE WINDS OF MARBLE ARCH, by Connie Willis
          (Note: Willis will talk about her writing on August 8, 2013 from 7PM to 8PM at the Longmont Library)
August 10: KISSED BY A FOX: AND OTHER STORIES OF FRIENDSHIP IN NATURE, by Priscilla Stuckey (author present)
September 14: MINK RIVER, by Brian Doyle
October 12: BUFFALO BILL'S DEAD NOW, by Margaret Coel (author present)
November 9: FLIGHT BEHAVIOR, by Barbara Kingsolver
December 14: THE SNOW CHILD, by Eowyn Ivey

2012:
January 14: THE POISONWOOD BIBLE, by Barbara Kingsolver
February 11: SWEAR THE BURNING VOW, poetry by Marilyn Krysl (author present)
March 10: THE HOUSE OF THE SPIRITS, by Isabel Allende
April 14: THE LOTUS EATERS, by Tatjana Soli
May 12: JACKALOPE DREAMS, by Mary Clearman Blew
June 9: COCKTAIL HOUR UNDER THE TREE OF FORGETFULNESS, by Alexandra Fuller
July 14: THE COLDEST MARCH: SCOTT'S FATAL ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION, by Susan Solomon (author present)
August 11: A THOUSAND YEARS OF GOOD PRAYERS, by Yiyun Li
September 8: JUST LIKE US: THE TRUE STORY OF FOUR MEXICAN GIRLS COMING OF AGE IN AMERICA, by Helen Thorpe
October 13: THE VOTE, by Sybil Downing
November 10: STARVATION HEIGHTS: A TRUE STORY OF MURDER AND MALICE IN THE WOODS OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST, by Gregg Olsen
December 8: IN THE FORESTS OF SERRE, by Patricia McKillip

2011:
January 8: THERE'S THIS RIVER... GRAND CANYON BOATMAN STORIES, edited by Christa Sadler
February 12: BOYS AND GIRLS LIKE YOU AND ME, by Aryn Kyl
March 12: THE TOM-WALKER, by Mari Sandoz
April 9: SAPPHIRA AND THE SLAVE GIRL, by Willa Cather
May 14: HALF BROKE HORSES, by Jeannette Walls
June 11: THE TELLING, by Ursula Le Guin
July 9: WHO LET THE DOGS IN? INCREDIBLE POLITICAL ANIMALS I HAVE KNOWN, by Molly Ivins
August 13: THE RINGER, by Jenny Shank (author present)
September 10: MADE IN HUNGARY: A LIFE FORGED BY HISTORY, by Maria Krenz
October 8: THE SPIRIT CATCHES YOU AND YOU FALL DOWN: A HMONG CHILD, HER AMERICAN DOCTORS, AND THE COLLISION OF TWO CULTURES, by Anne Fadiman
November 12: ISLAND BENEATH THE SEA, by Isabel Allende
December 10: SNOW FALLING ON CEDARS, by David Guterson

2010:
January 9: THE LEGEND OF COLTON H. BRYANT, by Alexandra Fuller
February 13: THE GOD OF ANIMALS, by Aryn Kyle
March 13: MEAN SPIRIT, by Linda Hogan
April 10: GRAND AMBITION, by Lisa Michaels
May 8: BREAKING CLEAN, by Judy Blunt
June 12: AN UNSPOKEN HUNGER, by Terry Tempest Williams
July 17: THE VIEW FROM CASTLE ROCK, by Alice Munro
August 14: DALVA, by Jim Harrison
September 11: ORIGINAL FIRE: NEW AND SELECTED POEMS, by Louise Erdrich
October 9: EFFIGY: MORMONS. POLYGAMY. TAXIDERMY. LOVE, by Alissa York
November 13: HOW TO BE LOST, by Amanda Eyre Ward
December 11: TWO IN THE FAR NORTH, by Margaret E. Murie

2009:
January 10: THE LADY, by Conrad Richter
February 14: THE STONE DIARIES, by Carol Shields
March 14: THE EARP BROTHERS OF TOMBSTONE, by Frank Waters
April 11: RIMA IN THE WEEDS, by Deirdre McNamer
May 9: THE STORY I TELL MYSELF: A VENTURE IN EXISTENTIALIST AUTOBIOGRAPHY, by Hazel Barnes
June 13: WATER FOR ELEPHANTS, by Sara Gruen
July 11: BROKEN: A LOVE STORY, by Lisa Jones (author present)
August8: DON’T LET’S GO TO THE DOGS TONIGHT, by Alexandra Fuller
September 12: ACROSS THE HIGH DIVIDE, by Laurie Wagner Buyer
October 17: MARGARET OF THE IMPERFECTIONS, by Lynda Sexson
November 14: A SUDDEN COUNTRY, by Karen Fisher
December 12: FINE JUST THE WAY IT IS, by Annie Proulx

2008:
January12: THE NIGHT JOURNAL, by Elizabeth Crook
February 9: SLOGUM HOUSE, by Mari Sandoz
March 8: HOMESICK, by Guy Vanderhaughe
April 12: TOM BOY BRIDE, by Harriet Fish Backus
May 10: DAUGHTER OF JOY, by JoAnn Levy
June 14: HIGHWIRE MOON, by Susan Straight
July 12: RED ROVER, by Deirdre McNamer
August 9: DINNER WITH OSAMA, by Marilyn Krysl (author present)
September 20: A THOUSAND ACRES, by Jane Smiley
October11: THE FARMWORKER'S DAUGHTER: GROWING UP MEXICAN IN AMERICA, by Rose Castillo Guilbault
November 8: THE ABORTIONIST'S DAUGHTER, by Elisabeth Hyde
December 13: SKY BRIDGE, by Laura Pritchett

2007:
January 13: ILL WIND, by Nevada Barr
February 10: ENEMY WOMEN, by Paulette Jiles
March 10: ONE DEGREE WEST: REFLECTIONS OF A PLAINSDAUGHTER, by Julene Bair
April 14: STORYTELLER, by Leslie Marmon Silko
May 17 - 19: FIFTH ANNUAL FIELD TRIP: Mesa Verde
July 14: HELL'S BOTTOM, COLORADO, by Laura Pritchett
August 11: THE SONG OF THE LARK, by Willa Cather
September 8: PLAIN LANGUAGE, by Barbara Wright
October 13: BOLD SPIRIT: HELGA ESTBY'S FORGOTTEN WALK ACROSS VICTORIAN AMERICA, by Linda Lawrence Hunt
November 17: THE VOTE, by Sybil Downing
December 8: ISABEL'S DAUGHTER, by Judith Hendricks

2006:
January 14: LETTERS FROM YELLOWSTONE, by Diane Smith
February 8: THE MASTER BUTCHERS SINGING CLUB, by Louise Erdrich
March 11: LATINA: WOMEN'S VOICES FROM THE BORDERLANDS, edited by Lillian Castillo-Speed
April 8: ARCTIC DANCE: THE MARDY MURIE STORY, by Charles Craighead & Bonnie Kreps
May 13: DOC SUSIE, by Virginia Cornell
June 10 weekend: FOURTH ANNUAL FIELD TRIP: Doc Susie land, Grand County
July 8: CRAZY HORSE: THE STRANGE MAN OF THE OGLALAS, by Mari Sandoz
August 12: EVERY DAY IS A GOOD DAY, by Wilma Mankiller
September 9: LETTERS OF A WOMAN HOMESTEADER, by Elinore Pruitt Stewart
October 14: MARIA, THE POTTER OF SAN ILDEFONSO, by Alice Marriott (biography)
November 11: TWO IN THE FAR NORTH, by Mardy Murie
December 9: CLOSE RANGE, by Annie Proulx

2005:
January 8: PIECES OF WHITE SHELL, by Terry Tempest Williams
February 12: THE LIVING, by Annie Dillard
March 12: SHE HAD SOME HORSES: POEMS, by Joy Harjo
April 9: SILVER LIES, by Ann Parker
May 14: THE LEGEND OF FIRE HORSE WOMAN, by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston
June 16-19: THIRD ANNUAL FIELD TRIP: ABIQUIU AND O'KEEFFE MUSEUM
July 9: VANISHED ARIZONA: RECOLLECTIONS OF THE ARMY LIFE OF A NEW ENGLAND WOMAN, by Martha Summerhayes
August 13: THE WOMAN WHO WATCHES OVER THE WORLD, by Linda Hogan
September 17: DAUGHTER OF THE SAINTS: GROWING UP IN POLYGAMY, by Dorothy Allred Solomon
October 8: KATE BURKE SHOOTS THE OLD WEST, by Jerrie Hurd (author present)
November 12: BITTERBRUSH COUNTRY, by Diane Josephy Peavey
December 10: THE BEAN TREES, by Barbara Kingsolver

2004:
January 10: THE WOMAN WARRIOR, by Maxine Hong Kingston
February 14: RAMONA, by Helen Hunt Jackson
March 13: MY ANTONIA, by Willa Cather
April 10: IN AMERICA, by Susan Sontag
May 8: BREAKING CLEAN, by Judy Blunt
June 6: SECOND ANNUAL FIELD TRIP: River trip on Gates of Lodore, Green River
July 10: WESTERN TRAILS, by Mary Austin
August 14: GEORGIA O'KEEFE: PORTRAIT OF AN ARTIST, by Laurie Lisle
September 18: KILLING RAVEN, by Margaret Coel
October 9: LAND THAT MOVES, LAND THAT STANDS STILL, by Kent Nelson
November 13: WE NEVER SPEAK OF IT, by Jana Harris
December 11: MAMA'S BANK ACCOUNT, by Kathryn Forbes

2003:
January 11: WATERLILY, by Ella Cara DeLoria
February 8: LAZY B: GROWING UP ON A CATTLE RANCH IN THE SOUTWEST, by Sandra Day O'Connor
March 8: THIS HOUSE OF SKY, by Ivan Doig
April 12: LADIES OF THE GOLDFIELD STOCK EXCHANGE, by Sybil Downing
May 10: THE LAST REPORT ON THE MIRACLES AT LITTLE NO HORSE, by Louise Erdrich
June 14: FIRST ANNUAL FIELD TRIP: Molly Brown House in Denver
July 12: RAVEN'S EXILE: A SEASON ON THE GREEN RIVER, by Ellen Meloy
August 9: A ROAD OF HER OWN: WOMEN'S JOURNEYS IN THE WEST, by Marlene Blessing
September 13: A NAME OF HER OWN, by Jane Kirkpatrick
October 11: LAND OF GRASS AND SKY: A NATURALIST'S PRAIRIE JOURNEY, by Mary Taylor Young
November 8: ONE THOUSAND WHITE WOMEN: THE JOURNALS OF MAY DODD, by Jim Fergus
December 13: THE WHITE ALBUM, by Joan Didion

2002:
January: IN SEARCH OF KINSHIP, by Page Lambert
February: ON HER WAY HOME, by Harriett Rochlin
March: DESERT PASSAGES, by Patricia Nelson Limerick (author present)
April: THE SOLACE OF OPEN SPACES, by Gretel Ehrlich
May: INTO A NEW COUNTRY: EIGHT REMARKABLE WOMEN OF THE WEST, by Liza Ketchum
June: AMERICAN CHICA: TWO WORLDS, ONE CHILDHOOD, by Marie Arana
July: PRODIGAL SUMMER, by Barbara Kingsolver
August: THE BONESETTER'S DAUGHTER, by Amy Tan
September: ANOTHER AMERICA; OTRA AMERICA, by Barbara Kingsolver (with Spanish translations by Rebecca Cartes) and SACRED FIRE, poetry and prose by Nancy Wood, paintings by Frank Howell
October: SOMETHING IN THE SOIL, by Patricia Limerick
November: STAMPEDE TO TIMBERLINE (selections), by Muriel Sybil Wolle
December: AMAZING TRAVELER, by Evelyn Kaye

2001:
January: REFUGE: AN UNNATURAL HISTORY OF FAMILY AND PLACE, by Terry Tempest Williams
February: DAUGHTER OF FORTUNE, by Isabel Allende
March: WHY SHE LEFT US, by Rahna Reiko Rizzuto
April: FENCING THE SKY, by James Galvin
May: DAKOTA: A SPIRITUAL GEOGRAPHY, by Kathleen Norris
June: CEREMONY, by Leslie Marmon Silko
July: DOWN THE SANTA FE TRAIL AND INTO MEXICO: THE DIARY OF SUSAN SHELBY MAGOFFIN, 1846-1847 by Susan Shelby Magoffin
August: YELLOW RAFT IN BLUE WATER, by Michael Dorris
September: WRITING THE RANGE: RACE, CLASS AND CULTURE IN THE WOMEN'S WEST, eds. Elizabeth Jameson and Susan Armitage
October: THE DIARY OF MATTIE SPENSER, by Sandra Dallas
November: THE SPIRIT WOMAN, by Margaret Coel
December: KISSING THE VIRGIN'S MOUTH, by Donna Gershten

2000:
January: EDGE OF TAOS DESERT, by Mabel Dodge Luhan
February: MEAN SPIRIT, by Linda Hogan
March: RIDING THE WHITE HORSE HOME, by Teresa Jordan
April: no meeting (the ONLY time we've missed in nearly four years!)
May: DEAREST WALTER: COURTSHIP LETTERS OF A KANSAS GIRL, 1914-1916 ed. by Laura King (author present)
June: MOLLY BROWN: UNRAVELING THE MYTH, by Kristen Iversen
July: THE QUILTERS: WOMEN AND DOMESTIC ART, by Patricia Cooper and Norma Buferd Allen
August: THE JUMP-OFF CREEK, by Molly Glass
September: ANGLE OF REPOSE, by Wallace Stegner
October: SEPARATE LIVES: THE STORY OF MARY RIPPON, by Silvia Pettem
November: THESE IS MY WORDS: THE DIARY OF SARAH AGNES PRINE 1881-1901 (A NOVEL), by Nancy E. Turner
December: INSIDE THE OY QUONG LAUNDRY, by Carolyn Wing Greenlee and Kathleen Kong Wing

1999:
January: SHIFTING STARS, by Page Lambert
February: MARI: A NOVEL, by Jane Valentine Barker
March: THE WOMAN AT OTOWI CROSSING, by Frank Waters
April: FACE OF AN ANGEL, by Denise Chavez
May: MESSENGERS OF THE WIND, Jane B. Katz, editor
June: A BRIDGE BETWEEN US, by Julie Shigekuni
July: BLESS ME, ULTIMA, by Rudolpho Anaya
August: A LADY'S LIFE IN THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS, by Isabella Bird
September: SHARK DIALOGUES, by Kiana Davenport
October: LEANING INTO THE WIND, eds. Linda Hasselstrom, Gaydell Collier and Nancy Curtis
November: THOUSAND PIECES OF GOLD: A BIOGRAPHICAL NOVEL, by Ruthanne Lum McCunn
December: HOYT STREET, by Mary H. Ponce

1998:
June: MY ANTONIA, by Willa Cather
July: THE GENTLE TAMERS: WOMEN OF THE OLD WILD WEST, by Dee Brown
August: FIRE IN THE HOLE, by Sybil Downing (author present)
September: THE MAGNIFICENT MOUNTAIN WOMEN, by Janet Robertson
October: BUFFALO GIRLS, by Larry McMurtry
November: SOILED DOVES, by Anne Seagraves
December: A SWEETNESS TO THE SOUL, by Jane Kirkpatrick

To see Discussion Group Founder Jeannie's favorites from this list (through February of 2009): http://www.sackett.net/FavoritesJeannieWOW.htm

To see Discussion Group Participant Jill's favorites from this list (through September of 2014): http://www.sackett.net/FavoritesJillWOW.htm

For a flyer of upcoming discussions for you to post and/or give to friends: http://www.sackett.net/WOWSaturdayFlyer.pdf

For more info go to the ‘Book & Discussion Groups’ tab on: http://research.boulderlibrary.org/readingroom

Last Update July 23, 2019.