Named in honor of Political Science Professor Emerita Ruth W. Grant, who used fiction as a staple in her courses on ethics and political theory, this program supports Duke alumni book clubs.
Ruth W. Grant book clubs create space for Duke alumni to build community and deepen their engagement with the intellectual life of the University through regional book clubs. Clubs select a book to read and are then paired with a Duke professor who leads a discussion of the book with the club.
If you have interest in starting an alumni book club, please contact Margaret Campbell Krause at margaret.campbell@duke.edu.
Current Book Selection
Our book selections for 2026–2027 explore the complexities of human relationships, history, and moral choices.
Short descriptions are provided below. You can also click on the cover image to visit the publisher’s website for more information about each book.
Set during the 2020 pandemic lockdowns, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Dream Count interweaves the lives of four distinct women—three affluent Nigerians and one Guinean immigrant. The narrative centers on Chiamaka, a travel writer who reflects on past loves and her deepest desire to be truly known. Ultimately, the novel explores the immigrant experience, grief, and the quiet strength of female solidarity in navigating life's deferred dreams.
Never Caught by Erica Armstrong Dunbar details the harrowing true story of Ona Judge, an enslaved woman who successfully escaped the Philadelphia household of George and Martha Washington in 1796 to secure her own freedom. Despite intense, relentless efforts and newspaper advertisements from the President to capture and reclaim her as property, Judge evaded the Washingtons and built a new life in New Hampshire. Her escape remains a profound act of defiance, demonstrating how an enslaved woman outwitted the most powerful figure in the newly-formed United States.
The novel follows the enigmatic yet kindly actions of Theo, an elderly Portuguese man who arrives in the southern town of Golden and discovers 92 pencil portraits displayed at a local coffee shop. He embarks on a mission to purchase these portraits and give them to their subjects, whom he considers to be the works’ “rightful owners,” and his “bestowals” create profound connections across the community before his true identity is revealed. The novel explores themes of cultivating connection through art and kindness, the transformative power of truly being seen, and finding redemptive value through sadness and joy.
Daphne Fuller, a 53-year-old teacher, reunites with her former stepfather, Eddie, 44 years after their estrangement following a chance encounter at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. As their bond rekindles, Daphne’s memories are unlocked, leading them to confront the traumatic events of their past. The novel explores themes of memory, family secrets, and reconciliation.
The most respected citizen in Union Springs, Alabama (population 3,314), is Judge Mary Stone. She holds two responsibilities sacred: running her family farm and presiding over her courtroom. It's there she draws the most controversial case in the history of the South.
Criminally, it’s open-and-shut.
Ethically, there is no middle ground. Essentially, it’s a choice between life and death.
No judge can satisfy everyone. It would be dangerous to try. But Judge Stone is willing to fight to bring justice to the people and place she loves.
Set in 1930s Mississippi, Kathryn Stockett's novel follows three fiercely resilient women—a sharp-witted young orphan, a pragmatic spinster, and a desperate mother—whose lives tragically converge. Facing severe economic hardship, corruption, and the hypocrisies of society, the outcasts team up to execute a series of audacious, often illegal schemes to save their families and reclaim their futures. Ultimately, their bold, unconventional alliance forms a powerful "found family," proving that even the most desperate situations can spark new beginnings.
Artie Dam—a beloved Massachusetts high school history teacher—harbors profound isolation and secret suicidal ideation amid the backdrop of a deeply divided 2024 America. His carefully hidden despair and assumptions about his own life are shattered when a startling family secret comes to light. Ultimately, this revelation forces Artie to reevaluate his closest relationships, confront his silent grief, and discover the private, solitary nature of being alive.
List by Title and Author
“Dream Count” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
“Never Caught: The Washingtons’ Relentless Pursuit of Their Runaway Slave, Ona Judge” by Erica Armstrong Dunbar
“Theo of Golden” by Allen Levi
“Whistler” by Ann Patchett
“Judge Stone: A Novel” by Viola Davis and James Patterson
“The Calamity Club” by Kathryn Stockett
“The Things We Never Say” by Elizabeth Strout
About the Book Clubs’ Namesake
Ruth W. Grant is Professor Emerita of Political Science at Duke University, specializing in political theory with a particular interest in early modern philosophy and political ethics. She is the author of "John Locke's Liberalism and of Hypocrisy" and "Integrity: Machiavelli, Rousseau and the Ethics of Politics." Her most recent book is "Strings Attached: Untangling the Ethics of Incentives."
