Welcome to our readers, whether first-to-last pagers, skimmers, or wannabes! The MNA Commission on Nursing Practice and Education extends a warm invitation to join in engaging and enriching conversations with other MNA nurses. The Book Club meets five times a year, and offers not only connection with other nurses, but also 2.0 nursing contact hours!
June and September book clubs will be held HYBRID (in person at the MNA Office or via Zoom). All the other book clubs will be held via Zoom (with all the bonus material it includes, such as pets, babies, and coffee mug wisdom). It’s an informal venue, yet often yields great insights for the time spent in discussion with one another.
Click on the links below or use the MNA event calendar at www.mnnurses.org/events to reserve your spot. You will receive a reminder email with the Zoom link prior to the Zoom book clubs. Hope to see you often in 2025! All book club meetings take place on Thursdays from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Any book club with low registration will be cancelled.
- Thursday, January 9, 2025, ONLINE: The Language of Kindness: A Nurse’s Story by Christie Watson (2019)
Through the smallest of actions, nurses provide vital care and kindness. All of us will experience illness in our lifetime, and we will all depend on the support and dignity that nurses offer us; yet the women and men who form the vanguard of our health care remain unsung. In this age of fear, hate, and division, Christie Watson has written a book that reminds us of all that we share, and of the urgency of compassion. - Thursday, March 13, 2025, ONLINE: How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi (2019)
In How to Be an Antiracist, Kendi asks us to think about what an antiracist society might look like, and how we can play an active role in building it. In this book, Kendi weaves an electrifying combination of ethics, history, law, and science, bringing it all together with an engaging personal narrative of his own awakening to antiracism. How to Be an Antiracist is an essential work for anyone who wants to go beyond an awareness of racism to the next step: contributing to the formation of a truly just and equitable society. - Thursday, June 12, 2025, HYBRID: The Four Winds: A Novel by Kristin Hannah (2021)
The Four Winds is a rich, sweeping novel that stunningly brings to life the Great Depression and the people who lived through it—the harsh realities that divided us as a nation and the enduring battle between the haves and the have-nots. A testament to hope, resilience, and the strength of the human spirit to survive adversity, The Four Winds is an indelible portrait of America and the American dream, as seen through the eyes of one indomitable woman whose courage and sacrifice will come to define a generation. - Thursday, September 11, 2025, HYBRID: On the Line: Two Women’s Epic Fight to Build a Union by Daisy Pitkin (2023)
On the Line takes readers inside a bold five-year campaign to organize workers in the dangerous industrial laundry factories of Phoenix, Arizona. Employees here wash hospital, hotel, and restaurant linens and face harsh conditions, and unfair U.S. labor law makes it nearly impossible for them to fight for their rights. The drive to unionize is led by two women: author Daisy Pitkin, a young labor organizer, who addresses this exhilarating narrative to Alma Gomez García, a second-shift immigrant worker, who risks her livelihood to join the struggle. Forged in the flames of the company’s vicious anti-union crusade, the relationships that grow between Daisy, Alma, and the rest of the factory workers show how a union can reach beyond the workplace and form a solidarity so powerful that it can transcend friendship and transform communities. But when political strife divides the union, Daisy must reflect on her own position of privilege and the complicated nature of union hierarchies. Daisy Pitkin also looks back to the forgotten role immigrant women have played in the labor movement, as we experience one of the largest labor upheavals in decades, she shows how difficult it is to bring about social change, and why we can’t afford to stop trying. - Thursday, November 13, 2025, ONLINE: From Darkness to Healing: A Nurse’s Journey through Anorexia by Zachary Ihli (2024)
From Darkness to Healing: A Nurse’s Journey Through Anorexia is an autobiographical book by Zachary Ihli. It presents a deeply personal and poignant narrative of Zachary’s battle with anorexia, framed within the context of his life as a nurse. The book delves into his struggles from childhood to adulthood, highlighting the impact of his eating disorder on both his personal and professional life. It recounts his experiences with various treatments, the psychological and physical challenges he faced, and his journey towards recovery. Zachary’s story is one of resilience and determination, providing insights into the complexities of eating disorders and the importance of acceptance, support, and tailored treatment approaches. The book is a blend of personal reflection, emotional struggles, and professional challenges, offering a unique perspective on the interplay between personal health and professional life in the context of a severe and enduring eating disorder.