Book Club

If you are interested in history – whether it is local, regional, or national history – the Center has an exciting and fun activity. The SCHRC is hosting a book club that will have historical themes.

Book club is now held at the Research Center, 518 Water Street. The next book club is on March 18, 2026, from 1 to 2:30 pm.

The next book selection is First Family: Abigail and John Adams (2010) by Joseph J. Ellis.

First Family: Abigail and John Adams by Joseph J. Ellis offers a vivid, intimate portrait of one of America’s most influential partnerships. Rather than focusing solely on John Adams’ political career, Ellis centers the narrative on the marriage itself—showing how Abigail and John shaped, challenged, and sustained each other through the upheavals of the American Revolution and the early republic.

The book draws heavily on their remarkable correspondence, revealing a relationship built on intellectual equality, mutual respect, and deep affection. Ellis highlights how Abigail served as John’s closest adviser, offering political insight, moral grounding, and emotional steadiness during his years in Philadelphia, Europe, and the presidency. At the same time, the story captures the strains of long separations, personal losses, and the burdens of public life.

Overall, Ellis presents the Adamses as a “first family” not just chronologically but symbolically—an early example of how private relationships and public leadership intertwine in the American story.

Participants are responsible for obtaining their own copy of the book.