Jenna Bush Hager is turning to a classic for her latest book club pick.
The Today show co-host has selected Toni Morrison’s novel The Bluest Eye for her popular #ReadWithJenna club, she announced on Monday.
“To wrap up this wild year, I wanted to choose a book that I have loved for many years,” Hager said. “It is an indelible part of our culture.”
Hager said she picked the book, Morrison’s debut novel, to honor its 50th anniversary. The novel follows Pecola, a 12-year-old Black girl growing up in rural Ohio in 1941. A reviewer for Kirkus called the book “a skillful understated tribute to the fall of a sparrow for whose small tragedy there was no watching eye.”
“Five decades after its original release, this story and its message are still so very relevant,” Hager said. “I read it as a sophomore in high school…for me, reading this book was transformational.”
Hager will host a special about the book on Dec. 20 on NBC’s streaming service, Peacock. It will feature “some people who are near and dear to Toni Morrison’s heart,” she said.
Hager’s book club debuted in March of 2019 with Tara Conklin’s The Last Romantics as its inaugural pick. Past selections have included Nicole Dennis-Benn’s Patsy, Kevin Wilson’s Nothing to See Here, and Elizabeth Wetmore’s Valentine.
Michael Schaub is a Texas-based journalist and regular contributor to NPR.
