Jenna Bush Hager’s November Book Club Pick Is Here—and Readers Already Have Opinions
Kit de Waal’s 'Sweet Pea' published just yesterday and one reader called it 'very character-driven'
Key Takeaways
- Jenna Bush Hager chose Kit de Waal’s ‘Sweet Pea’ for her book club.
- The novel follows Paulette as she navigates motherhood, love and second chances.
- ‘Sweet Pea’ is de Waal’s fourth novel and explores the gray areas of life.
Jenna Bush Hager’s November book club pick is here, and it’s one that surprised many readers. The Today show co-host, Read With Jenna founder and Open Book With Jenna host chose a more under-the-radar novel this month. That’s a shift from her September and October picks, which were from big-name authors Barbara Kingsolver and Alice Hoffman. To find out more about the book Jenna picked and how readers are responding to it, keep scrolling!
Jenna Bush Hager reveals her November book club pick
On Tuesday, November 3, Hager announced that Kit de Waal’s newest novel Sweet Pea would be her November 2026 Read With Jenna pick. The plot follows Paulette, who was nicknamed “Sweet Pea” as a child by her grandmother. Now 29 years old in the 1970s, Paulette is engaged to a handsome man named Denton and building a career as a nurse. Then one day, Denton dies in a car accident, and Paulette learns he was secretly married with children. As a result, she befriends Denton’s friend Garfield, and together they raise a child named Bird. It’s a beautiful tale of love, family and second chances.
“[It’s a] testament to how our lives can be transformed when we refuse to turn away from love,” Hager said.
Sweet Pea is De Waal’s fourth novel. She has also published a memoir, several collections of short stories, anthologies and essays.
“There’s a reason people act and behave the way they do, and I really wanted to explore when good meets good, when bad meets bad, when the accident meets the other accident. I like exploring the gray areas of life,” the author told Today of the book. “People are trying to do their best. In life, there’s very few actual bad guys.”
Readers react to Jenna Bush Hager’s November book club selection
Sweet Pea might have only hit shelves yesterday, but that hasn’t stopped readers from sharing their opinions on it. In total, the novel already has more than 2,900 reviews on Goodreads, with a 4.24 average rating.
“Oh, this story will sneak up on you and will slowly carve out a special place in your heart for these characters,” raves one happy reader. “This story is very character-driven and one that readers will relate to, because most of us have a future that we mourn for, but this book gives hope in that future even though it may look a bit different. I loved this book and the ending was perfect.”
Another called the book “a beautiful reminder of the beauty and mystery of an extraordinary life of an ordinary person.”
“This book tackles forgiveness, racism, acceptance, and moving forward through depression into another phase of a life, and the continuing search of becoming the person you always believed you could be,” they added. “I was reminded of the web of relationships and decisions that we make through our lives and how they contribute to the larger picture of a love filled life of memories and connection.”
Others felt differently.
“While I enjoyed the story, I couldn’t stand Paulette as a character,” one reader said. “If she were in my life, I wouldn’t have been friends with her. I found her to be whiny, playing the victim in private while being brash and rude in public, blaming that behavior on her victimization.”
Someone else said that the book is “fine, but there is nothing new here.”
“I can’t believe it has been longlisted for the Women’s Prize,” they continued. “Books like this are the most difficult to review in terms of their worthiness to be in line for awards, because the tender message the author is bringing has a place, and an audience, but sitting beside the literary brilliance or emotional depth or razor sharp insights of many of the others listed? It is just not in the right division.”
You can pick up your copy of Sweet Pea by Kit de Waal now wherever books are sold.
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