Q&A: Marcie Stokman on Well-Read Mom and the Power of Deep Reading

Do you have a desire to read but are struggling? This interview will inspire you.

An Interview by John Stokman

Recently, I sat down with Marcie Stokman (yes, she is my Mom), to explore what we’re missing out on by not reading, and how to rediscover the joy of books in a tech-driven world.

She is the founder of Well-Read Mom, a national book club with nearly 12,000 members. Well Read Mom “accompanies women in the reading of great books and spiritual classics to encourage personal growth, friendship, and meaningful conversations in order to explore the human condition and reorient ourselves to what is good, beautiful, and true.”

Below is our edited Q&A, with insights and practical tips for anyone looking to bring reading back into their life.

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Q: Can you give us a brief overview of Well-Read Mom and how it started?

Marcie: Well-Read Mom began as a response to a personal moment with my daughter, Beth. She had just had a baby and called me one day, frustrated after attending a mothers’ group. She said, “Mom, I’m not going back. All we talked about was kids and what kind of diapers are best. Isn’t there a place where women get together to talk about the real questions in life?”

Her words struck me—I’d felt that same loneliness as a young mom years ago. I thought, “Is this still happening? Are mothers with small children still so isolated?”

So I proposed an idea: “Beth, why don’t you gather your friends in St. Paul, and I’ll gather mine in Crosby? Let’s read great books together. Let’s do this for five years.” She agreed.

I’d noticed, speaking to mothers of preschoolers in northern Minnesota, that many women weren’t reading anymore—it had fallen by the wayside in their busy lives, just as it had in mine. This saddened me. Beth’s longing for connection and friendship merged with my desire to return to great and worthy books. We started with that five-year plan, and now, nearly 14 years later, there are close to 12,000 women in groups all across the country.

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Q: Our subscribers include people like me—those who aren’t reading actively, often choosing technology over books. What are we missing out on?