Miss Dreamsville and the Collier County Women's Literary Society by Amy Hill Hearth

Dora, newly divorced, is bored working in the post office in the then-small town of Naples, Florida in 1962. When Jackie Hart moves from Boston with her family it's like a breath of fresh air to Dora and the other outsiders in the town. Jackie has the idea of creating a book group that meets at the local library. Its members are Dora, Jackie, Miss Lansbury (the librarian), Robbie-Lee (who happens to be gay), spinster Plain Jane, elderly Mrs. Bailey White (just released from prison for killing her husband), and African-American servant, Priscilla. The group bonds through their meetings and finds strength from each other when they need it--which is often in the conservative and racist town. Despite the presence of social issues, there is a lightness that shines through the novel. An enjoyable, at times quirky read.