Oprah's Book Club Began With This Unforgettable Page-Turner

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Long before TikTok reading challenges that aim to help you read more books, Oprah's Book Club was already a literary North Star. She earned this reputation by spotlighting stories that stir the soul, starting with her very first pick in September 1996: "The Deep End of the Ocean" by Jacquelyn Mitchard. Impressively, as Mitchard notes on her website, this was her debut book. "My first novel, 'The Deep End of the Ocean,' was the first pick for the Oprah Winfrey Book Club, and catapulted me into a spotlight as a writer," her site reads.

This drama thriller tells the story of Beth Cappadora, a flawed character whose 3-year-old son, Ben, vanishes during a crowded high school reunion. The tragedy splinters the family, straining the Cappadoras' marriage and sending their older son, Vincent (who had been the last to see Ben), into a guilt-ridden spiral. From there, the reader sees how the family copes over years of excruciating emotions.

After the family relocates to Chicago, they're hit with a shocking twist: Ben is found alive but remembers nothing of his past. The only family he knows is a man he believes to be his loving stepfather and the now-deceased woman who kidnapped and raised him. "'The Deep End of the Ocean' asks the reader, 'Is it true that more tears are shed over answered prayers than unanswered ones?'" Mitchard reflects on her website. This heart-wrenching story, combined with Oprah's immense influence, sent the book flying off of shelves. Just two weeks after the endorsement from Oprah's Book Club in 1996, the number of print copies skyrocketed from 100,000 to a whopping 640,000.

Almost a year before Oprah's Book Club endorsed "The Deep End of the Ocean," the book snagged a movie deal from actor-producer Michelle Pfeiffer's production company, with Pfeiffer playing Beth Cappadora. The buzz from Oprah's Book Club praise was the free marketing the book needed to reach grander heights. However, the film faced a series of delays and didn't hit theaters until 1999. By then, much of the initial buzz had faded. The movie eventually grossed about $27 million worldwide against a $38 million budget, and viewers were quick to explain why.

Not only did the film trim away several key plot lines, but it also failed to stay in character and chose to focus only on the emotional baggage within the Cappadora family. The detective's character, in particular, lacked the depth and complexity Mitchard had so vividly written in "The Deep End of the Ocean." Still, Mitchard didn't rush to give unsatisfied viewers a sequel to the drama thriller. She waited over a decade and, even then, approached it with hesitation. "I loved my story. But I was wary. [...] And I didn't know if I could actually write about the Cappadoras, thirteen years after I created them," she admitted on her website. Then, unexpectedly, while working on another book, it hit her. "I knew. I knew the story that would become 'No Time to Wave Goodbye.'"

The sequel follows a now-grown Ben and the rest of the Cappadoras as they're thrust into another tragedy that threatens the fragile stability they've built. Though it wasn't featured in Oprah's Book Club, the praise it earned was just as heartfelt. As one reviewer put it, "I enjoyed this sequel to Mitchard's The Deep End of the Ocean. I immediately remembered the characters and where we left off. There was great tension and suspense, but the overall healing of many of the characters is the best part." Now, for another reader-favorite novel, check out the best Reese's Book Club pick of all time.