Reading Groups

Classic Summer Sagas: The Thorn Birds and The Shell Seekers with Donna Raskin

2 Sessions Saturdays, 1:00 pm EDT - 2:30 pm EDT July 12 to August 9, 2025

The Center for Fiction

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The ‘With Books’ option includes the titles required for this group at a 10% discount from our Bookstore.

Meeting Dates:
7/12 & 8/9
In Person at The Center for Fiction

Heartbreak, secrets, money, and lust… summer is the perfect time to get lost in a multigenerational story. These two novels will sweep you away with their compelling characters and depictions of misunderstanding and disappointment between parents and children.

The Thorn Birds, which takes place in New Zealand, Ireland, and Australia, incorporates religious themes that illustrate the role of the Catholic Church in the characters’ lives. The Shell Seekers features a woman looking back over her life and the lives of her children (who, in turn, consider her life). Both books were bestsellers and included on the BBC’s Big Read list, the British public’s best-loved novels.

What to read in advance of the first meeting: The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough

What to expect from this reading group: The instructor will provide some history of the book and author, and then the group will have an open discussion about the books.

Reading List:

Session I: The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough
Session II: The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher

Led by

Donna Raskin

Donna Raskin

Donna Raskin is a longtime reading group leader, as talking about novels is one of her favorite things to do. In her non-fiction life, she is a senior health and fitness editor at Runner’s World magazine.

About this series

Reading Groups

Whether you’re looking to catch up on great novels or you’re interested in exploring a new writer or literary period, our reading groups offer high-level literary discussion led by experts in the field.

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