Jenna Bush Hager’s October Book Club Pick is ‘Partita’: Goodreads Readers Call It ‘Brilliantly Written’
The book is a stunning dual-timeline tale readers everywhere will love
Key Takeaways
- ‘Partita’ follows Livia Cable, who was once a pianist named Livia Bohusz.
- Jenna calls Barbara Kingsolver part of her "Mt. Rushmore of writers."
- A Goodreads reviewer called ‘Partita’ "keenly observed and brilliantly written."
Jenna Bush Hager’s October book club pick is here, and it’s a good one! And we aren’t the only book lovers who feel that way. Goodreads users are also excited about October’s Read With Jenna pick: Partita by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Barbara Kingsolver. In fact, one reader even called it “brilliantly written.” To learn more about the title, including why Jenna loves it, keep scrolling.
What to know about Jenna Bush Hager’s October book club pick
Partita, a Woman’s World most-anticipated fall book, follows a woman named Livia Cable, who lives a quiet life on a farm. One day, after a phone call from a past lover, she begins to reimagine everything. Her family has no idea that, years ago, she was Livia Bohusz, a gifted pianist at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University who fell in love. Now, her former love has reentered her life, forcing Livia to decide whether to finally reveal the secrets she’s kept hidden for so long. A beautiful dual-timeline story of love, identity and second chances.
“[Barbara is] on the Mt. Rushmore of writers for me,” Jenna said in the announcement. Her synopsis of the plot: “When a great love from her past comes back into her future, it has her ask the question, ‘How has my life ended up? Has it centered around the things I thought it would?’”
Jenna also added that the book “centers around what makes life beautiful. We know within the first page Livia loses her brother, which sets her off on a journey to put the broken pieces of her together.”
This announcement wasn’t the first time Jenna has shared her love for Kingsolver’s new book. Two months ago, on her podcast Open Book with Jenna, Jenna told Elin Hilderbrand, her guest at the time, that Partita was her “favorite” book written by the author.
“Read it and tell me if you agree,” Jenna told Elin.
Goodreads users share their thoughts on ‘Partita’ by Barbara Kingsolver
Partita, Kingsolver’s first novel since her 2022 bestselling book, Demon Copperhead, hits shelves today, but ahead of publication, several readers who received early copies shared their thoughts on the popular book-reviewing app Goodreads.
One early reader called it “a five-star book.”
“I loved Livia and related to her so much—making big decisions that you question, life taking unexpected turns, learning to take the good with the bad,” the reviewer added. “And of course, the book is typical Barbara Kingsolver; brilliantly written, beautiful prose, a story that keeps the reader second guessing. It was amazing!”
Another said there were “so many passages” they highlighted while reading Partita because the book “hit close to home.”
“This is a stunningly beautifully written, heartbreaking novel and will definitely be on my list of the best novels of the year,” the reader continued. “The novel opens with a listening list and structures the novel with musical terms. The classical-music vocabulary is present throughout and will add depth for those well acquainted with it.”
And if those raving reviews weren’t enough to make you pick up a copy, this one might: One Goodreads user called Partita a “moving, emotional, dual-timeline story that is a balance of reflection, emotion, connection and place. The characters were relatable and the story takes the reader down a path where you’re unsure where things will land, yet we know Barbara Kingsolver will deliver the most satisfying delight of a story by the end!”
You can pick up your copy of Partita by Barbara Kingsolver now wherever books are sold.
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