Reese Witherspoon has chosen her high school English teacher’s latest work as the 100th pick for her popular book club in a touching tribute to her roots, per people.com. The announcement, made on Tuesday, September 3, marks a significant milestone for Reese’s Book Club, which Witherspoon founded in 2017 under her media company Hello Sunshine.
The chosen book, The Comfort of Crows: A Backyard Year by Margaret Renkl, holds a special place in Witherspoon’s heart. The 48-year-old actress surprised Renkl, 63, with the news during an emotional visit to their old Tennessee high school. In a video shared on YouTube, the pair reminisced about Witherspoon’s teenage years, with the actress crediting Renkl for recognising and nurturing her potential.
“You taught me so much. You saw something in me and encouraged me,” Witherspoon said, fighting back tears. She revealed that reading was her secret escape during challenging times in high school, describing books as “a private place to go.”
Renkl, understanding the unique pressures Witherspoon faced as a young actress, acknowledged the difficulties of navigating an adult world while still being a teenager. She fondly recalled Witherspoon’s enthusiasm for learning, noting how the young student would often request extra homework out of a hunger for more books.
The Comfort of Crows is described as a meditation on the changing world outside our windows, following the creatures and plants in Renkl’s backyard over the course of a year. Witherspoon praised the book as “a beautiful love letter to nature” and a timely choice given the increasing focus on environmental awareness.
- Featured image: Reese Witherspoon and ‘The comfort of Crows’ by Margaret Renkl/Taylor Hill/Getty; Spiegel & Grau
