The club began as the extension of conversations between Winfrey and her producer at the time, Alice McGee. They would talk about the books they liked until McGee finally suggested, in 1996, that Winfrey share the experience with her viewers. Photo: AP
For her 100th book club pick, Oprah Winfrey relied on the same instincts she has drawn upon from the start: Does the story move her? Does she think about it for days after? In a work of fiction, do the characters seem real to her?
“When I don’t move on, that’s always a sign to me there’s something powerful and moving,” said Winfrey in a recent telephone interview.