Author visit with Amor Towles (and more authors I am excited about!)

Amor's Grandparents. His grandmother was an inspiration for the book.

All other authors coming to Duxbury beware! Amor Towles has set the bar high for being one of the best speakers and readers that we've had the pleasure to have at the Duxbury Free Library. His wonderful stories about living in New York and of his grandmother's socialite past dovetail beautifully into the fictional New York of the 1930's in Rules of Civility. His heroine, Katie Content, is the daughter of immigrants but despite her upbringing and the Depression, sees another life for herself. Very motivated and hardworking, and without sacrificing principles, Katie quietly takes advantage of opportunities presented to her to raise her social profile and forge her career in Manhattan in the 1930s. It is a timeless story of a girl coming to New York in her twenties. My friend Beth, who came to the reading and also read the book, said that this story reminded her in many ways of her own story coming to New York in the 1980's. Manhattan has the same feel-the big buildings, parties, bars and diners- in the city now as it had in the time of Rules of Civility. It is a fantastic book for a book club discussion. If you missed the wonderful discussion with Amor, read and discuss with your book club. It is new in paperback at Westwinds.

Donna, Brooke, Amor Towles & Carol at the DFL

Coming up- Maryann O'Hare will be coming on November 28th to the Duxbury Free Library to discuss her new book Cascade, a fictionalized account of filling in the Quabbin Reservoir in 1939, and one of the three towns that were sacrificed to create it. Historical fiction at it's best- a story that makes you learn and think, in an enjoyable format.

In January, Song of Achilles author Madeline Miller will be coming to talk about her modern retelling of the Illiad. In Madeline's book, Achilles is portrayed as a much gentler person than in his past characterizations. It is a very human story of Achilles and his "beloved companion" Patroclus, and of the very long war in Troy. I really loved this book- it tells the Illiad in a way that you will remember and understand. I can't wait to ask if she is retelling the Odyssey next. I hope to convince her to if she's not- she is very good at storytelling. More Madeline, more!