Wassmuth Center for Human Rights

Thoughtful conversations and meaningful connections were shared by all who joined us to discuss our May Hope and Humanity Book Club pick. Our discussion of 'The Correspondent' by Virginia Evans created a powerful space to explore the story of a retired lawyer who spent her life in correspondence, by writing letters to the people in her life. While the premise of this book is simple-a woman writing and receiving letters, the content and recipients of those letters is what this story is really all about. Through Sybil’s letters we touched on topics such as immigration, our justice system, women’s rights, mental health, and much more. Every character in this book opened up a perspective and/or life experience that not only Sybil herself learned from, but we all did as well. Thank you all for adding such important conversation and questions to our discussion.

Our selection for June is 'The Small and the Mighty' by Sharon McMahon.

Sharon McMahon shows that the most remarkable Americans are often ordinary people whose lives never made it into textbooks—telephone operators, schoolteachers, poets, and mothers whose courage quietly shaped history. Through meticulous research, she brings to life unsung figures. As these lives unfold—marked by injustice, resilience, surprising fortune, and small acts of heroism—they reveal how ordinary people can challenge cruelty, protect the vulnerable, and illuminate the path toward a more just, peaceful, and free world. In McMahon’s hands, history becomes a chorus of improbable champions whose stories remind us that greatness is found in everyday courage and human dignity.

The Small and The Mighty is available and . Join us as we discuss this beautiful story together on Tuesday, June 23 from 12:00-1:00 PM or 6:30-8:00 PM. Register here to join us.

https://www.wassmuthcenter.org/human-rights-book-clubs/