Chapter One Book Group
Chapter One is a community of friends committed to enriching our lives through shared experience of the written word and meaningful discussion. The group was established in January 2008 and is currently celebrating its eighteenth year.
Each month, Chapter One dives into a new book selected directly from group nominations. Selections can vary as much as our members.
The group continues to meet and celebrate literature each month in the Chillicothe area of Ohio.
March 2026
The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez
Fantasy
Published in 2022
The Spear Cuts Through Water weaves an unforgettable tapestry of myth, memory and rebellion, anchored in a frame as lyrical as the story it contains. Against the tyranny of the Moon Throne and its monstrous rulers, a dying Moon goddess enlists two unlikely companions, Jun and Keema, to flee her captivity and embark on a perilous pilgrimage that may end centuries of oppression. As they traverse a broken land, they confront not only external enemies but their own inner wounds, forging an unbreakable bond in a world saturated with violence, longing and hope.
At its heart, this novel is both sweeping fantasy and an intimate exploration of identity, legacy and the stories we tell to make sense of who we are. Simon Jimenez’s prose is rich and poetic, shifting effortlessly between perspectives and timeframes, inviting you into the sacred space between dream and history. The journey of Keema and Jun is not simply a quest to end despotism but a meditation on belonging, love and the power of narrative to stitch together generations across time.
This meeting for discussion of Book #219 is currently scheduled for March 7 at 5 PM.
April 2026
The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett
Fiction
Published in 2025
At sixty-three, PJ Halliday should be enjoying life after his lottery win, but grief has anchored him in Pondville, Massachusetts – still numb from the death of his daughter, lost in old habits, and painfully out of step with his own adult child. When he spots an obituary that signals his high-school crush is newly single, PJ seizes the moment and resolves to drive across the country to the Tender Hearts Retirement Community in Arizona to rekindle their spark. But life, ever unpredictable, hands him an unexpected road companion: his late brother’s orphaned grandchildren, a reluctant daughter tagging along and Pancakes – a therapy cat with an eerie knack for sensing death. What begins as a sentimental quest becomes an unforgettable journey of messy dysfunction, comic mishaps and surprising tenderness on America’s highways.
Annie Hartnett infuses this road-trip tale with her signature blend of dark humor and raw heart, transforming a story about loss into an ode to second chances and unconventional family. Along the way, PJ and his ragtag crew – flawed, lovable and achingly human – grapple with grief, forgiveness and the unpredictable collisions that can lead us back to hope. From the absurd to the heartbreaking, The Road to Tender Hearts reminds us that life’s greatest detours often take us right where we need to be.
This meeting for discussion of Book #220 is currently scheduled for April 11 at 5 PM.