Classics & Contemporary Book Discussion: My Ántonia by Willa Cather
Tuesday, September 10, 10:30-11:30am, Adults, Auditorium
Willa Cather's My Ántonia is considered one of the most significant American novels of the twentieth century. Set during the great migration west to settle the plains of the North American continent, the narrative follows Antonia Shimerda, a pioneer who comes to Nebraska as a child and grows with the country, inspiring a childhood friend, Jim Burden, to write her life story. The novel is important both for its literary aesthetic and as a portrayal of important aspects of American social ideals and history, particularly the centrality of migration to American culture. (From the publisher)
Copies of the book are available here. Ebook and audiobook copies are available through the Digital Library of Illinois, the Libby app, and Hoopla.
For those who would like to purchase a copy of My Ántonia, please support our local independent bookstore, The Book Stall at 811 Elm Street in Winnetka.
Book Club Discussion: The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry
Wednesday, September 18, 10:30-11:30am, Adults, Auditorium
In the war-torn London of 1939, fourteen-year-old Hazel and five-year-old Flora are evacuated to a rural village to escape the horrors of the Second World War. Living with the kind Bridie Aberdeen and her teenage son, Harry, in a charming stone cottage along the River Thames, Hazel fills their days with walks and games to distract her young sister, including one that she creates for her sister and her sister alone—a fairy tale about a magical land, a secret place they can escape to that is all their own. But the unthinkable happens when young Flora suddenly vanishes while playing near the banks of the river. Shattered, Hazel blames herself for her sister’s disappearance, and she carries that guilt into adulthood as a private burden she feels she deserves.
Twenty years later, Hazel is in London, ready to move on from her job at a cozy rare bookstore to a career at Sotheby’s. With a charming boyfriend and her elegantly timeworn Bloomsbury flat, Hazel’s future seems determined. But her tidy life is turned upside down when she unwraps a package containing an illustrated book called Whisperwood and the River of Stars. Hazel never told a soul about the imaginary world she created just for Flora. Could this book hold the secrets to Flora’s disappearance? Could it be a sign that her beloved sister is still alive after all these years? (From the publisher)
Copies of the book are available here. Ebook and audiobook copies are available through Digital Library of Illinois or the Libby app.
For those who would like to purchase a copy of The Secret Book of Flora Lea, please support our local independent bookstore, The Book Stall at 811 Elm Street in Winnetka.
Virtual Book Club Discussion: The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry
Wednesday, September 25, 7-8pm, Adults, Virtual
This discussion will take place on Zoom. Registration will close two hours before the program begins and registrants will receive a link to join shortly thereafter. Find copies of The Secret Book of Flora Lea here.