As the nights get longer and the air gets chillier, even Oprah Winfrey wants to get cozy with an atmospheric, seasonal book.
Winfrey’s latest book club pick is “Solace in Winter” by Mary Lawson (out now from Knopf Canada), a new novel set in a hibernating, snowy Canadian town. It’s set in the same world as Lawson’s other bestselling novels, including “Crow Lake,” “The Other Side of the Bridge,” “Road Ends” and “A Town Called Solace.”
“Beautifully written and deeply moving, ‘Solace in Winter’ reminds us that even in our loneliest moments, unexpected connections can open our hearts, heal old wounds, and change our lives in ways we never imagined,” Winfrey said in a statement.
Oprah’s book club pick for November: ‘Solace in Winter’ by Mary Lawson
Described by publishers as an “exquisite snow globe of a novel," “Solace
in Winter” is set in the deep winter of 1969 against the backdrop of the Vietnam War. Widower Jack’s quiet life is upended after two accidents on the road into town. Suddenly, his home is filled with a dog, an injured draft dodger and a growing cast of characters with backstories and baggage. But Jack’s daughter Sally isn’t pleased with the new guests.
“Solace in Winter” is Lawson’s fifth novel. The author lives in Kingston upon Thames, near London. Her upbringing in a small farming community in Ontario and summers in the forested, lakeside region of the Canadian Shield inspire her work.
In a statement shared with USA TODAY, Lawson recalled thinking the phone call from Winfrey was a scam. But no, it was the book club maven herself, calling Lawson to tell her “Solace in Winter” gave her “comfort.”
“Oprah Winfrey, who has introduced countless amazing writers to thousands upon thousands of readers, who has championed books unceasingly for years and years, and I’d nearly hung up on her. It still makes me go faint to think about it,” Lawson wrote.
Clare Mulroy is USA TODAY’s Books Reporter, covering buzzy releases, chatting with authors and diving into the culture of reading. Find heron Instagram, subscribe to our weeklyBooks newsletter or tell her what you’re reading at cmulroy@usatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Oprah's new book club pick is the perfect late fall read. What is it?
