Sophia Book Club
Hey book lovers!
Love getting lost in a good story?
Join our Sophia Book Club! Four times a year, Julie Trites (Vice-Chair of our Board of Directors) will share a book she's really enjoying. Julie picks great books that have some connection to substance use challenges.
The best part about being in a book club is sharing thoughts and ideas. Discussion helps enrich our understanding of a novel, explore our own ideas, and consider other perspectives.
We now have two virtual ways to "discuss" the Sophia Book Club selections...
Julie's book club emails
For each book selection Julie shares her personal insights about the story's themes and provides thoughtful questions to think about while you're reading.
Sign-up to our mailing list for Julie's book selection announcements, ponders, and updates on book club news.
And...
Our Members-only Facebook Group
Join our private Facebook Book Club here or use this QR code. (To join the Facebook group, you will need to "follow" Sophia Recovery Centre on Facebook in order to access the private group.)
Our Dec 2025-Jan 2026 Book
Long Bright River
By Liz Moore
This crime thriller filled with heart has been described as “a masterclass in crime fiction with a soul.” It’s just the sort of novel to curl up with as we settle into winter.
Praise for Long Bright River
“It's a remarkable, heart-wrenching, soul-stirring thriller with impeccable writing and unforgettable characters.”
"Alternating its present-day mystery with the story of the sisters' childhood and adolescence, Long Bright River is at once heart-pounding and heart-wrenching: a gripping suspense novel that is also a moving story of sisters, addiction, and the formidable ties that persist between place, family, and fate.”
—Good Morning America
In the author’s words:
Learn about the life experience that inspired the novel in this interview with the author:
On television:
Published in 2020, the novel was adapted into an eight-hour mini series in the spring of 2025. Have you seen it?
One reviewer called the novel "Tough, tense and twisty - but tender, human and deeply affecting, too…”
Grab your copy and read along with us. As you do, consider these questions:
- Is Micky a reliable narrator? Does her view of herself as the “good” sister and Kacie as the “messed up” sister hold true?
- How does the novel's dual timeline structure enhance your understanding of Mickey and Kacey's relationship? What does this narrative choice reveal about memory and trauma?
- How does the Kensington neighborhood function almost as a character in the novel? What does Moore reveal about urban decay and neglect?
- Discuss the theme of sisterhood. At what points could Mickey and Kacey's relationship have taken a different path?
- How does the novel explore the limitations and failures of institutional systems—police, social services, healthcare, and education?
- How does Moore portray the relationship between law enforcement and the communities they serve? What nuances does she bring to this often-polarized debate?
- What does the novel suggest about the possibility of redemption and recovery from addiction?
- Discuss the novel's treatment of sex work. How does Moore present the lives and humanity of the women working on the Avenue?
- By the novel's end, what has Mickey learned about herself, her sister, and what it means to survive? Do you find the conclusion hopeful or ambiguous?
- What does the title Long Bright River signify? How does it relate to the themes and imagery throughout the book?
Join the conversation in our private Sophia Book Club Facebook group!
