If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, SheKnows may receive an affiliate commission.
Over the years, Reese Witherspoon has recommended every type of book in her book club. From thrillers that’ll leave you at the edge of your seat, to romances that’ll make you believe in love again, Witherspoon’s thought-provoking and page-turning picks have made her one of the go-to celebs for recs. So, of course, fans of the actress couldn’t wait for her long-awaited 100th pick this month.
On Instagram today, Witherspoon announced that her coveted 100th pick is The Comfort of Crows by Margaret Renkl. Then, she revealed the sweet connection she has with the book’s author herself.
“Our 100th @reesesbookclub pick, #TheComfortOfCrows by @margaret.renkl is a beautiful love letter to nature and the world around us,” Witherspoon wrote in the caption alongside pictures of them smiling and hugging. “Divided into fifty-two chapters, it follows the creatures and plants in Margaret’s backyard over the course of a year, capturing both the joy of nature’s ongoing pleasures and the grief of fleeting moments. 🍃🐝🌷🦋.”
As it turns out, Witherspoon and Renkl go way back. “As my high school English teacher (!!), Margaret had a profound impact on my life, making it incredibly special to have her as our 100th author 🥹,” Witherspoon wrote. Knowing how Witherspoon is passionate about reading, having an English teacher who made such an impact on her makes perfect sense.
“Thank you all for reading with me, 100 books later. 💛📚” she continued.
In the comments, fans of Witherspoon are celebrating the sweet pic. “Love this book! Centered me at a time when so much seemed out of center,” wrote one follower. “Thank you for celebrating this book and the impact of our teacher heroes!”
In the official description of The Comfort of the Crows, it details a few of Renkl’s observations of her backyard.
“As we move through the seasons—from a crow spied on New Year’s Day, its resourcefulness and sense of community setting a theme for the year, to the lingering bluebirds of December, revisiting the nest box they used in spring—what develops is a portrait of joy and grief: joy in the ongoing pleasures of the natural world, and grief over winters that end too soon and songbirds that grow fewer and fewer,” the description reads.
“Along the way, we also glimpse the changing rhythms of a human life,” it continues. “Grown children, unexpectedly home during the pandemic, prepare to depart once more. Birdsong and night-blooming flowers evoke generations past. The city and the country where Renkl raised her family transform a little more with each passing day. And the natural world, now in visible flux, requires every ounce of hope and commitment from the author—and from us.”
“For, as Renkl writes, ‘radiant things are bursting forth in the darkest places, in the smallest nooks and deepest cracks of the hidden world,'” the description concludes.
Get your copy of Witherspoon’s sweet pick today!
Before you go, click here to see all the best picks from Reese Witherspoon’s book club.