Jenna Bush Hager selects from 'favorite author' for December 2020 Read With Jenna

Jenna Bush Hager
Updated ·3 min read
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

Our editors independently selected these items because we think you will enjoy them and might like them at these prices. If you purchase something through our links, we may earn a commission. Pricing and availability are accurate as of publish time. Learn more about Shop TODAY.

Just the other night I was talking to my sister, Barbara, about the first time I read “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison. I remember where I was sitting when it was assigned to my sophomore English class at Austin High School. While it started as another homework project, it quickly turned into reading a book I felt I had chosen for myself. I remember marking it up like I had never marked up any books before.

I was totally in awe of Toni Morrison’s ability to make us feel like we were walking in Pecola’s footsteps. Even if you didn’t necessarily relate, there was no way you didn’t empathize with Pecola. Thematically, I had never read anything quite like this. It was a book that talked about adult subjects but the underlying themes of racism, otherness and feeling not good enough were things that my classmates were dealing with, particularly my classmates of color. It was the first book that really opened my eyes to how literature can create understanding and take you into worlds you don’t know.

"The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison

The Bluest Eye
The Bluest Eye

My mom being a librarian, we talked often as kids about books that were banned. At the time I read it, “The Bluest Eye” was prohibited across some Texas schools. Knowing that some kids weren’t even allowed to read this made it an even more special treasure of a book.

As Morrison’s debut novel turns 50 years old, it still holds incredible power to spark current conversations. While this fact is heartbreaking, it also shows how complicated and complex some of these themes are.

I suspect that a lot of our book club members will be rereading this book for the first time since high school or college. I know I am particularly excited to pick up my old favorite again. I expect that it will hit me differently than it did when I was an adolescent girl, not much older than Pecola. I can’t wait to see how adulthood and now being in my late 30s will make this novel resonate in a different way. I look forward to hearing how others’ perspectives change as well.

Of course, if you are reading for the first time, I hope you marvel at the beauty of Toni Morrison’s writing the way I did when I first picked up a copy. She is my favorite author of all time, and I am honored to be recommending her book to this special group of readers.

To stay up to date on the latest book club news, subscribe to the Read With Jenna newsletter!

For more book recommendations, check out:

To discover more deals, shopping tips and budget-friendly product recommendations, download the TODAY app and subscribe to the Stuff We Love newsletter!