Rachel’s boyfriend and dad started an exclusive book club around Chicago history and baseball, and shared it in a now-viral TikTok
Their weekly FaceTime sessions bring them closer as they share their thoughts on Eight Men Out
The book club is about more than reading — it’s a heartwarming way for two generations to bond
When Rachel started dating Ben, she hoped he’d hit it off with her dad, Jeff, but had no idea just what was in store.
In a now-viral TikTok clip, Rachel captured the wholesome beginnings of a new family tradition. “My dad asked my boyfriend if he wanted to do a book club with him (it’s just the two of them) and tonight was their first meeting,” she captions the video.
And it all began with baseball.
Ben was in Chicago and unfamiliar with the infamous 1919 Black Sox scandal — a piece of sports lore at the center of one of Rachel’s favorite films, Eight Men Out.
As Ben tells PEOPLE of his girlfriend’s dad, “Mr. McClusky gave me the rundown. He’s like, ‘We should read the book,’ and I agreed. And then we kind of started it that way, casually. Then it turned into a real book club.”
Jeff is no stranger to book clubs, he tells PEOPLE. “I actually had one with some of my staff as far as some different Chicago history, like The Jungle [about Chicago’s] meat-packing district, and I’m a big baseball fan.”
“And I said, you know, why don’t we like to do some Chicago history like baseball and, and read this great story of Eight Men Out. So we were both enthusiastic about it and said we can have a remote book club like once a week,” he continues.
Courtesy of Rachel McClusky
Ben and Jeff
And so, the most exclusive book club in town was born. They read the book together, chapter by chapter, every Monday evening over FaceTime. No spoilers, no summaries, and no shortcuts — just real conversations and a genuine love of learning and bonding.
“It’s just us two,” Ben says with a laugh. Rachel, meanwhile, jokes, “No girls allowed, unfortunately, for me.”
But this isn’t your average book club. “They meet a lot for a book club. I feel like most book clubs meet at the end of the book, but they go through each chapter,” Rachel points out.
“But it’s different and it’s so heartwarming to see the two of them discuss something like this and have a shared hobby,” she continues.
For Ben, who had never been in a book club before, the experience has been eye-opening. Since joining, he feels like he’s gained a new appreciation for the hobby. “I never really put much thought into book clubs. But now I totally get it. They’re awesome,” he says.
Courtesy of Rachel McClusky
Rachel, Ben and Jeff
When Jeff flew out to visit Rachel and Ben in California, they took the club up a notch.
Inspired by the book’s 1919 setting, they recreated a vintage Comiskey Park baseball menu, in a nod to the White Sox’s home field (now called Rate Field). “Ben cooked the hot dogs, I brought the peanuts,” Jeff says. “I couldn’t find Cracker Jack, but we really got into it.” Jeff even wore Rachel’s White Sox jersey from when she was a bat girl.
The book club has become more than just a reading group — it’s a bridge between generations and a new way for Ben and Jeff to connect. “I think it’s strengthened our relationship. It’s fun to have something to talk about that we both share an interest in,” Ben notes.
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Jeff agrees, adding, “You talk about all that stuff. This has given us a chance to talk and laugh about something entirely different and enjoy, you know, each other’s comments because of that.”
Courtesy of Rachel McClusky
Ben and Jeff
While the TikTok post took off — prompting strangers to ask for a spot in the exclusive book club — Ben and Jeff are content keeping it just the way it is. At least for now.
“I think we’ll finish the book, maybe catch a White Sox game, and take it from there,” Jeff says. “We’ve already got our next title picked out.”
As for Rachel, she is simply content with the relationship that’s fostered. “It just makes me feel lucky,” she says. “To see the two most important men in my life form this kind of bond — it’s something I’ll always treasure.
Read the original article on People
