A few miles outside Atlantic, a group of 15 women settles into a cozy living room, clutching small books in their laps. Two large cakes and a tea set await them in the kitchen. Classical music accompanies the polite chatter, drifting in from the bright back patio.
As the book club begins, Treasurer Sue Hunt takes attendance, and each woman holds up her book and shares a bit about it. They don't all read the same book, but their selections follow the year's theme: memoirs, biographies and true stories. Then the meeting moves into the day's program; on this day, member Trudy Eblen presents on culinary authors.
The women of the Browning Literary Club have gathered like this for well over a century. Formally established as a study group by Atlantic schoolteachers in 1899, the club was instrumental in rallying community support for a town library, which was built in 1903, according to the University of Iowa Library Archives. Many members today still come from academic backgrounds.
"[Book clubs] were a way for women to take leadership, because that wasn't happening in our churches, in our local governments," said Margo Magill, the club's historian. "It was a way for people to expand knowledge and leadership skills."
Tradition is one of the reasons book clubs like Browning have remained continuously operational for so long. According to Book Report Network Founder Carol Fitzgerald, the average book club lasts only about two and a half years, but several other Iowa clubs — particularly those founded by women — are defying those odds by decades.
One of them is the Serendipity Book Club in Ames, which is celebrating its 90th anniversary this year. It was founded in 1936 as an elite circle of university-affiliated women, many the wives of Iowa State University administrators, who would gather to discuss literature over meals and desserts. Serendipity once required a unanimous secret ballot for admission. Prospective members sometimes waited years for an opening.
"It was very posh," said Veronica Fowler, a member of 25 years. "Even when I started, there was a lot of fine dining and sterling silver."
Today, the group is smaller and more relaxed, with about 14 members. Paper plates and regular dishware have largely replaced fine china for hosting, but there is still plenty of thoughtful discussion and shared desserts. Most members are retired; Fowler, at 25 years in, is still considered one of the younger participants.
One tradition that has helped sustain the club is its flexible approach to reading. Instead of assigning a single book each month, each member brings a recommendation at the start of the year. Books circulate informally, and discussions often focus as much on authors as on the texts themselves. Fowler said that structure removes a common barrier to book club participation.
"I think one reason a lot of people drop out of book clubs is they feel they don't have time," she said on IPR's Talk of Iowa. "I've been in traditionally structured book clubs — you feel guilty showing up, and you don't want to quite confess that maybe you just skimmed it a little bit."
About 90 miles away in Fort Dodge, the Ingleside Study Club has been operating continuously since 1901, making this year its 125th anniversary. Founded by a small group of women seeking intellectual engagement at a time when their opportunities were limited, the club has grown into a multigenerational institution. The name, "Ingleside," means fireside, or hearth.
"Its association with books is clear, like the warmth and the light of the fire, providing a cozy spot for reading," said Peggy Murphy, who has been a member for the past decade.
Today, about two dozen women meet regularly, often in one another’s homes. Meetings typically begin with dessert, followed by a presentation and discussion. Like Serendipity, Murphy says Ingleside members can attend and listen in without having to read every selection.
“It inspires you,” she said. “You hear about a book and think, ‘I’m going to have to read that.’ Nobody wants to read bad books. Everybody wants a great book to read.”
And like Browning, the club's themes vary from year to year. This year, members are working through titles representing each decade of the club’s existence.
Fowler said Serendipity has "added a lot" to her life.
"It's just lovely. It's just some little, time-honored, cherished slice that I get to have once or so a month," she said.
