Evening Book Club
Fourth Monday @ 5:30 pm
Join the Evening Book Club for monthly discussions on historical fiction and nonfiction titles and snacks provided by the Book Club members!
March 24 @ 5:30 pm
When newlyweds Ethan and Epsey Pratt move from Philadelphia to a settlement in Georgia, they find themselves drawn into the war despite all their best efforts. Side by side with their Quaker neighbors Kindred and Mavis Morris, the Pratts are forced to take up arms against the British, as the world around them is bitterly changed forever.
With a discerning eye and a commitment to historical accuracy, Carter provides a unique view of the American Revolution by presenting lesser-known aspects of the conflict — including the shameful way everyone involved tried to manipulate and control the Indian tribes. Despite a huge cast of characters and an extremely detailed and complex narrative, Carter keeps the story rooted in the personalities of common folks faced with extraordinary difficulties.
April 28 @ 5:30 pm
1860: As the clash between the states rolls slowly to a boil, Elizabeth Packard, housewife and mother of six, is facing her own battle. The enemy sits across the table and sleeps in the next room. Her husband of twenty-one years is plotting against her because he feels increasingly threatened – by Elizabeth’s intellect, independence, and unwillingness to stifle her own thoughts. So Theophilus makes a plan to put his wife back in her place. One summer morning, he has her committed to an insane asylum.
The horrific conditions inside the Illinois State Hospital in Jacksonville, Illinois, are overseen by Dr. Andrew McFarland, a man who will prove to be even more dangerous to Elizabeth than her traitorous husband. But most disturbing is that Elizabeth is not the only sane woman confined to the institution. There are many rational women on her ward who tell the same story: they’ve been committed not because they need medical treatment, but to keep them in line – conveniently labeled “crazy” so their voices are ignored.
No one is willing to fight for their freedom and, disenfranchised both by gender and the stigma of their supposed madness, they cannot possibly fight for themselves. But Elizabeth is about to discover that the merit of losing everything is that you then have nothing to lose.
May 19 @ 5:30 pm
The daughter of formerly enslaved parents, Mary McLeod Bethune refuses to back down as white supremacists attempt to thwart her work. She marches on as an activist and an educator, and as her reputation grows she becomes a celebrity, revered by titans of business and recognized by U.S. Presidents. Eleanor Roosevelt herself is awestruck and eager to make her acquaintance. Initially drawn together because of their shared belief in women’s rights and the power of education, Mary and Eleanor become fast friends confiding their secrets, hopes and dreams—and holding each other’s hands through tragedy and triumph.
When Franklin Delano Roosevelt is elected president, the two women begin to collaborate more closely, particularly as Eleanor moves toward her own agenda separate from FDR, a consequence of the devastating discovery of her husband’s secret love affair. Eleanor becomes a controversial First Lady for her outspokenness, particularly on civil rights. And when she receives threats because of her strong ties to Mary, it only fuels the women’s desire to fight together for justice and equality.
This is the story of two different, yet equally formidable, passionate, and committed women, and the way in which their singular friendship helped form the foundation for the modern civil rights movement.