Compassionate Houston’s Book studies
Compassionate Houston offers four seasonal book studies throughout the year facilitated by our amazing book study champion and dedicated volunteer Marlin Murdock, and Pam Lewis, board president.
Meet people of our rich community once a week over a 4-week period, bringing together a multitude of perspectives on topics aimed to foster a greater understanding of compassion, kindness, respect and identify personal and public ways to practice it regularly.
Our book studies are conducted virtually as they offer several benefits compared to in-person meeting such as comfort and convenience, cost-effectiveness as participants can save on transportation costs and troubles driving through Houston’s traffic, larger outreach, and easy accessibility.
Our book studies are always free of charge. Offering them is part of our mission to cultivate compassion in Greater Houston.
If you are able to make a donation to our nonprofit 501 (c) (3) at any time, that kind act is most appreciated.
Third Seasonal Book Study - Summer
In the small southern city of Golden, a pleasant but mysterious stranger named Theo arrives one spring with a quiet mission. After discovering ninety‑two pencil portraits hanging in a local coffee shop, he begins purchasing them one by one and returning them to their “rightful owners.” With each gift, a story unfolds, a friendship forms, and a life is changed.
The novel explores creative generosity, the importance of wonder, and the invisible threads of kindness that bind communities together. It is a beautifully crafted story about seeing and being seen, and about how small acts of compassion can ripple outward in profound ways. (Goodreads)
Logistics
Dates: July 9, 16, 23 ( three meetings)
Time: 7:00–8:30pm CT
Location: Online via Zoom
Facilitators: Pam Lewis and Alicia Scala
Registration Deadline: July 8 6:00PM
Space is limited to 20 participants!
“A beautifully crafted story about the power of creative generosity… and the far‑reaching possibilities of anonymous kindness.” Goodreads
“A story of giving and receiving, of seeing and being seen… a novel about the invisible threads of kindness that bind us to one another.” BookBrowse
“Readers consistently praise the book’s warmth, emotional resonance, and quiet, restorative storytelling, noting its kinship with authors like Fredrik Backman and Anne Tyler.” YourSummary
About the Author
Allen Levi grew up in Columbus, Georgia, and holds degrees in English, Law, and Scottish fiction. After a decade in law, he moved into full‑time music, spending nearly thirty years sharing his thoughtful, whimsical songwriting across the country and recording more than twenty albums. He is the author of The Last Sweet Mile, a memoir about his brother, the children’s book Oliviatown, and his first novel, Theo of Golden (2023). When he’s not writing or making music, Allen tends to his family land, stays close to his community, and dreams of being an artist someday. (Allen Levi)
BUY AND SUPPORT LOCAL
Blue Willow Bookshop—a cherished local gem and vendor for two consecutive years at our annual luncheon—is partnering with us for our seasonal book studies. They are offering 15% off our seasonal books to all book study participants!
Here’s how to get your copy:
In-store: Just mention you’re part of the Compassionate Houston book study.
Online: Order → here. Be sure to write “Compassionate Houston book study” in the comments section to receive your discount.
Pickup or shipping available!
Let’s read together, grow together, and support local while we’re at it. 💙
““The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.””