Barnes & Noble Presents I Cheerfully Refuse by Leif Enger as Their April 2024 National Book Club Selection

 Barnes & Noble announces I Cheerfully Refuse as their March National Book Club pick and welcomes readers to join author Leif Enger at a free live virtual event. The author will be in conversation with Lexie Smyth, Category Manager for Fiction at Barnes & Noble, and Miwa Messer, Executive Producer of Poured Over, the B&N Podcast, to discuss the title as well as answer questions from audience members. Attendees must register via Eventbrite to access the livestream on Zoom.

“With I Cheerfully Refuse, Leif Enger brings us an adventure novel that reads like The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn meets Station Eleven,” said Lexie Smyth, Category Manager for Fiction, Barnes & Noble. “Set in a near-future America, we follow the trials and travails of loveable grump Rainey, as he sets sail in search of his departed bookseller wife. With a cast of unforgettable characters, Enger has created a book readers will want to climb inside and live in. This is a rich, engaging narrative full of hope, humor and the power of community that will leave our Book Club readers with so much to talk about.”

Leif Enger returns to the page with this striking new novel set in a dystopian landscape along the chaotic shores of Lake Superior just as climate change triggers the collapse of society. With all the poetic prose and poignancy of his previous works — Enger once again delivers a haunting, contemplative and totally immersive reading experience. While telling a story that could easily succumb to darkness, he manages to find flickers of hope that keep the shadows at bay. This one-man odyssey on the inland sea is a can’t-miss for fans of Emily St. John Mandel’s Sea of Tranquility or Michael Cunningham’s Day.

The Barnes & Noble Book Club selects a newly published work of fiction each month, chosen by their booksellers to provoke, engage and enthrall book lovers. The Barnes & Noble Exclusive Edition of I Cheerfully Refuse features an essay from the author, as well as a reading group guide. Leading up to the event, readers can share their thoughts and engage in conversation on social media using the hashtag #BNBookClub. During the livestream, readers are encouraged to participate in the discussion and submit questions to be answered throughout.

“Book clubs mean curiosity, joy, friendship, discovery, and occasional jousting over what makes a story crumble or take flight — the best sort of gathering, in other words, and I couldn’t be more delighted that Barnes & Noble has picked I Cheerfully Refuse as its April selection,” said Leif Enger. “A chance to read together, to drop in on the same struggling beautiful world and watch its fall and rise? When do we meet, and how long can we stay?”

The enthusiasm and word-of-mouth recommendations of Barnes & Noble booksellers across the country have sparked ardent praise from readers nationwide, turning great novels into bestsellers. Previous Barnes & Noble Book Club selections have included: Tom Lake by Ann Patchett, The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller, The Night Ship by Jess Kidd, The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead, The Testaments by Margaret Atwood, The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett, One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle, Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin and The Cloisters by Katy Hays.   

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