Free Virtual Book Club Explores Great Lakes History, Culture, and Environment
January 7, 2026 (Toledo, Ohio) – The National Museum of the Great Lakes is inviting readers from across the region and beyond to explore Great Lakes stories through its 2026 Great Lakes Book Club—a free, virtual lunchtime series featuring guided discussions of three compelling books.
Held monthly over Zoom, the Book Club offers participants the opportunity to actively join the conversation or observe the discussion at their own pace. Each session begins at noon and is led by lead museum educator and Book Club curator Faith Currie.
“Our book selections this year are ever-timely stories readers will relate to and that we hope they’ll be eager to discuss with friends and family,” Currie said. “They include a compelling novel about the early 1900s mining community in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, a nonfiction history covering Great Lakes and Great Black Swamp foodways from past to present, and a new collection of essays following Great Lakes watershed flora and fauna through the seasonal changes of the year.”
The 2026 Great Lakes Book Club schedule includes:
Tuesday, February 3, 2026 | 12 pm
The Women of the Copper Country: A Novel by Mary Doria Russell
Tuesday, March 3, 2026 | 12 pm
A Culinary History of the Great Black Swamp: Buckeye Candy, Bratwurst & Apple Butter by Nathan Crook
Tuesday, April 7, 2026 | 12 pm
Near the Forest, By the Lake: Discovering Nature Close to Home by Angela E. Douglas
All sessions are held virtually via Zoom. Participation is free; registration required. Copies of all three selections are available for purchase through the National Museum of the Great Lakes’ Museum Store, with a discounted Book Club Bundle offered for readers who wish to purchase all titles together. Registration details and additional information are available at nmgl.org/events.
About the National Museum of the Great Lakes: The National Museum of the Great Lakes preserves, shares, and celebrates the past, present, and future of the Great Lakes story. As an interactive, experiential museum, we offer visitors the chance to explore thousands of years of history and stories through nine dynamic exhibit galleries—including a rotating temporary exhibition space—and two historic museum vessels, the Col. James M. Schoonmaker Museum Ship and the Museum Tug Ohio, plus the pilothouse of the storied St. Marys Challenger.
Founded in 1944 as the Great Lakes Historical Society, we have a long-standing commitment to education, research, and storytelling. Our initiatives include the publication of Inland Seas®, a quarterly journal of Great Lakes history since 1945 and decades of maritime preservation and archaeological exploration. Today, we strive to be the gathering place for Great Lakes conversations—welcoming all to connect with the stories, people, and innovations that have shaped and continue to influence this vital region.
WHAT: Great Lakes Book Club
WHEN: February 3, March 3, April 7, 2026 | 12 pm
WHERE: Virtually via Zoom
ADMISSION: Free
MEDIA CONTACT: Ashley Streichert Lovejoy, 419-460-8181
###