When a teenage couple abandons their baby at the gate of the estate owned by Lydia Blessing, Skip Cuddy, the estate caretaker, decides to raise the child himself, a decision that has a profound effect on the lives of everyone in the community, in a story of love, secrets, and redemption.
When a teenage couple abandons their baby at the gate of the estate owned by Lydia Blessing, Skip Cuddy, the estate caretaker, decides to raise the child himself, a decision that has a profound effect on the lives of everyone in the community, in a story of love, secrets, and redemption.
Gulliver's Travels is a witty and insightful satirical novel which recounts the history of Lemuel Gulliver as he travels to Lilliput, Brobdingnag, the floating island of Laputa, and finally to the land of the brutish Yahoos.
Gulliver's Travels is a witty and insightful satirical novel which recounts the history of Lemuel Gulliver as he travels to Lilliput, Brobdingnag, the floating island of Laputa, and finally to the land of the brutish Yahoos.
The first Hispanic-American on the U.S. Supreme Court shares the story of her life before becoming a judge, describing such experiences as her youth in a Bronx housing project, her relationship with a passionately spiritual grandparent, the ambition that fueled her ivy-league education and the individuals who helped shaped her career.
The Booked for Lunch discussion group is facilitated by Library Director, Karen Demers. New members are always welcome.
Reserve book here
The first Hispanic-American on the U.S. Supreme Court shares the story of her life before becoming a judge, describing such experiences as her youth in a Bronx housing project, her relationship with a passionately spiritual grandparent, the ambition that fueled her ivy-league education and the individuals who helped shaped her career.
The Booked for Lunch discussion group is facilitated by Library Director, Karen Demers. New members are always welcome.
Reserve book here
On the morning of December 10, 1996, Taylor, a brain scientist, experienced a massive stroke. She observed her own mind completely deteriorate. Now she shares her unique perspective on the brain and its capacity for recovery.
On the morning of December 10, 1996, Taylor, a brain scientist, experienced a massive stroke. She observed her own mind completely deteriorate. Now she shares her unique perspective on the brain and its capacity for recovery.
Bob Hennessy will present "The World of the Harmonica." He will tell stories, present interesting historical facts, and play music in many different styles. The program is fast paced, educational, and above all highly entertaining!
Bob Hennessy's "World of Harmonica" program is terrific - very informative, lively, and entertaining! A diverse crowd of men and women, young and old attended--and EVERYONE smiled widely and enjoyed learning about the harmonica and its history. The highlight was hearing Bob masterfully play in various musical styles."
Bob Hennessy will present "The World of the Harmonica." He will tell stories, present interesting historical facts, and play music in many different styles. The program is fast paced, educational, and above all highly entertaining!
Bob Hennessy's "World of Harmonica" program is terrific - very informative, lively, and entertaining! A diverse crowd of men and women, young and old attended--and EVERYONE smiled widely and enjoyed learning about the harmonica and its history. The highlight was hearing Bob masterfully play in various musical styles."
Breathe France, 91 min.
A taut, nuanced story about the depths of female friendships and the dark side of teenage infatuations, Breathe, the sophomore directorial effort from Mélanie Laurent (Inglourious Basterds, Beginners), is an assured adaptation of the sensational French young adult novel of the same name. Charlie (Joséphine Japy) is seventeen and bored. Her estranged parents are too caught up in their own drama to pay her much attention. School holds no surprises either, and Charlie grows tired of her staid friends. Enter Sarah (Lou de Laâge), a confident and charismatic new transfer student who brings with her an alluring air of boldness and danger. The two form an instant connection, and through shared secrets, love interests and holiday getaways their relationship deepens to levels of unspoken intimacy. But with this intimacy comes jealousy and unrealistic expectations, and soon the teens find themselves on a dangerous trajectory toward an inevitable and unforeseen collapse.
The monthly series of foreign and independent films is sponsored by the Friends of the Library. films are not rated by the MPAA and are intended for a mature audience. Admission is free, popcorn is served, and a discussion follows the screening.
Breathe France, 91 min.
A taut, nuanced story about the depths of female friendships and the dark side of teenage infatuations, Breathe, the sophomore directorial effort from Mélanie Laurent (Inglourious Basterds, Beginners), is an assured adaptation of the sensational French young adult novel of the same name. Charlie (Joséphine Japy) is seventeen and bored. Her estranged parents are too caught up in their own drama to pay her much attention. School holds no surprises either, and Charlie grows tired of her staid friends. Enter Sarah (Lou de Laâge), a confident and charismatic new transfer student who brings with her an alluring air of boldness and danger. The two form an instant connection, and through shared secrets, love interests and holiday getaways their relationship deepens to levels of unspoken intimacy. But with this intimacy comes jealousy and unrealistic expectations, and soon the teens find themselves on a dangerous trajectory toward an inevitable and unforeseen collapse.
The monthly series of foreign and independent films is sponsored by the Friends of the Library. films are not rated by the MPAA and are intended for a mature audience. Admission is free, popcorn is served, and a discussion follows the screening.
We're reading and cooking from the Moosewood Restaurant table, by the Moosewood Collective. Copies of the book will be available at the Front Desk. Pick a recipe and let us know what you are bringing by Saturday, January 26th so we do not duplicate recipes. Signup is required.
The Cookbook Club meets every other month on the last Tuesday of the month. Newcomers are always welcome!
We're reading and cooking from the Moosewood Restaurant table, by the Moosewood Collective. Copies of the book will be available at the Front Desk. Pick a recipe and let us know what you are bringing by Saturday, January 26th so we do not duplicate recipes. Signup is required.
The Cookbook Club meets every other month on the last Tuesday of the month. Newcomers are always welcome!
Chef Liz Barbour will demonstrate how to prepare home-cooked meals in 15 minutes!
Liz Barbour has been cooking professionally in the Boston area since 1992 and started The Creative Feast in 2004. Liz's cooking demonstrations and recipes have been featured on New Hampshire Chronicle, Channel 9’s “Cooks Corner” and in various publications including New Hampshire Magazine. In 2017 Liz published her first cookbook “Beautifully Delicious: Cooking with Herbs & Edible Flowers”.
Chef Liz Barbour will demonstrate how to prepare home-cooked meals in 15 minutes!
Liz Barbour has been cooking professionally in the Boston area since 1992 and started The Creative Feast in 2004. Liz's cooking demonstrations and recipes have been featured on New Hampshire Chronicle, Channel 9’s “Cooks Corner” and in various publications including New Hampshire Magazine. In 2017 Liz published her first cookbook “Beautifully Delicious: Cooking with Herbs & Edible Flowers”.
A tale inspired by firsthand accounts about the notoriously corrupt Tennessee Children's Home Society follows the efforts of a Baltimore assistant D.A. to uncover her parents' fateful secrets in the wake of a political attack and a chance encounter with a stranger.
The Booked for Lunch discussion group is facilitated by Library Director, Karen Demers. New members are always welcome. Click here to reserve the book.
A tale inspired by firsthand accounts about the notoriously corrupt Tennessee Children's Home Society follows the efforts of a Baltimore assistant D.A. to uncover her parents' fateful secrets in the wake of a political attack and a chance encounter with a stranger.
The Booked for Lunch discussion group is facilitated by Library Director, Karen Demers. New members are always welcome. Click here to reserve the book.
Great Decisions is America's largest discussion program on world affairs including reading from the Great Decisions Briefing Book and meeting weekly to discuss critical global issues facing America today.
Marjorie Schoen and other volunteers facilitate. In the event of a snow date, we will bump the discussion to the following week and extend the meetings accordingly. For more information, please visit the Great Decisions website.
CONTACT: Bernard Davidow 413-596-6141 bdavidow@wilbrahamlibrary.org
Great Decisions is America's largest discussion program on world affairs including reading from the Great Decisions Briefing Book and meeting weekly to discuss critical global issues facing America today.
Marjorie Schoen and other volunteers facilitate. In the event of a snow date, we will bump the discussion to the following week and extend the meetings accordingly. For more information, please visit the Great Decisions website.
CONTACT:
Bernard Davidow
413.596.6141
bdavidow@wilbrahamlibrary.org
Great Decisions is America's largest discussion program on world affairs including reading from the Great Decisions Briefing Book and meeting weekly to discuss critical global issues facing America today.
Marjorie Schoen and other volunteers facilitate. In the event of a snow date, we will bump the discussion to the following week and extend the meetings accordingly. For more information, please visit the Great Decisions website.
CONTACT: Bernard Davidow 413-596-6141 bdavidow@wilbrahamlibrary.org
Great Decisions is America's largest discussion program on world affairs including reading from the Great Decisions Briefing Book and meeting weekly to discuss critical global issues facing America today.
Marjorie Schoen and other volunteers facilitate. In the event of a snow date, we will bump the discussion to the following week and extend the meetings accordingly. For more information, please visit the Great Decisions website.
CONTACT:
Bernard Davidow
413.596.6141
bdavidow@wilbrahamlibrary.org
Great Decisions is America's largest discussion program on world affairs including reading from the Great Decisions Briefing Book and meeting weekly to discuss critical global issues facing America today.
Marjorie Schoen and other volunteers facilitate. In the event of a snow date, we will bump the discussion to the following week and extend the meetings accordingly. For more information, please visit the Great Decisions website.
CONTACT: Bernard Davidow 413-596-6141 bdavidow@wilbrahamlibrary.org
Great Decisions is America's largest discussion program on world affairs including reading from the Great Decisions Briefing Book and meeting weekly to discuss critical global issues facing America today.
Marjorie Schoen and other volunteers facilitate. In the event of a snow date, we will bump the discussion to the following week and extend the meetings accordingly. For more information, please visit the Great Decisions website.
CONTACT:
Bernard Davidow
413.596.6141
bdavidow@wilbrahamlibrary.org
Twin brothers born from a secret love affair between an Indian nun and a British surgeon in Addis Ababa, Marion and Shiva Stone come of age in Ethiopia, where their love for the same woman drives them apart.
Twin brothers born from a secret love affair between an Indian nun and a British surgeon in Addis Ababa, Marion and Shiva Stone come of age in Ethiopia, where their love for the same woman drives them apart.
Wondrous Boccaccio Italy, 120 min.
Set against the backdrop of a 14th century, black plague-stricken Florence, ten young men and women escape to a country estate where they spend their days telling stories of love, fate, and resurrection. From legendary Italian filmmaking brothers Paolo and Vittorio Taviani, directors of the Palme d'Or winning Fiorile and Golden Bear award-winning Caesar Must Die, Wondrous Boccaccio is a visual and poetic tribute to the stories that emerged from one of the darkest periods in Italian history, and the imaginations that quietly fueled them.
The monthly series of foreign and independent films is sponsored by the Friends of the Library. films are not rated by the MPAA and are intended for a mature audience. Admission is free, popcorn is served, and a discussion follows the screening.
Wondrous Boccaccio Italy, 120 min.
Set against the backdrop of a 14th century, black plague-stricken Florence, ten young men and women escape to a country estate where they spend their days telling stories of love, fate, and resurrection. From legendary Italian filmmaking brothers Paolo and Vittorio Taviani, directors of the Palme d'Or winning Fiorile and Golden Bear award-winning Caesar Must Die, Wondrous Boccaccio is a visual and poetic tribute to the stories that emerged from one of the darkest periods in Italian history, and the imaginations that quietly fueled them.
The monthly series of foreign and independent films is sponsored by the Friends of the Library. films are not rated by the MPAA and are intended for a mature audience. Admission is free, popcorn is served, and a discussion follows the screening.
Great Decisions is America's largest discussion program on world affairs including reading from the Great Decisions Briefing Book and meeting weekly to discuss critical global issues facing America today.
Marjorie Schoen and other volunteers facilitate. In the event of a snow date, we will bump the discussion to the following week and extend the meetings accordingly. For more information, please visit the Great Decisions website.
CONTACT: Bernard Davidow 413-596-6141 bdavidow@wilbrahamlibrary.org
Great Decisions is America's largest discussion program on world affairs including reading from the Great Decisions Briefing Book and meeting weekly to discuss critical global issues facing America today.
Marjorie Schoen and other volunteers facilitate. In the event of a snow date, we will bump the discussion to the following week and extend the meetings accordingly. For more information, please visit the Great Decisions website.
CONTACT:
Bernard Davidow
413.596.6141
bdavidow@wilbrahamlibrary.org
A chance encounter between two families--the Donaldsons, and the Iranian-born Yasdans--at the Baltimore airport, as both couples await the arrival of an adopted daughter from Korea, prompts an examination about what it means to be an American while the lives of the two families intertwine over the years.
The Booked for Lunch discussion group is facilitated by Library Director, Karen Demers. New members are always welcome. Click here to reserve the book.
A chance encounter between two families--the Donaldsons, and the Iranian-born Yasdans--at the Baltimore airport, as both couples await the arrival of an adopted daughter from Korea, prompts an examination about what it means to be an American while the lives of the two families intertwine over the years.
The Booked for Lunch discussion group is facilitated by Library Director, Karen Demers. New members are always welcome. Click here to reserve the book.
Great Decisions is America's largest discussion program on world affairs including reading from the Great Decisions Briefing Book and meeting weekly to discuss critical global issues facing America today.
Marjorie Schoen and other volunteers facilitate. In the event of a snow date, we will bump the discussion to the following week and extend the meetings accordingly. For more information, please visit the Great Decisions website.
CONTACT: Bernard Davidow 413-596-6141 bdavidow@wilbrahamlibrary.org
Great Decisions is America's largest discussion program on world affairs including reading from the Great Decisions Briefing Book and meeting weekly to discuss critical global issues facing America today.
Marjorie Schoen and other volunteers facilitate. In the event of a snow date, we will bump the discussion to the following week and extend the meetings accordingly. For more information, please visit the Great Decisions website.
CONTACT:
Bernard Davidow
413.596.6141
bdavidow@wilbrahamlibrary.org
Great Decisions is America's largest discussion program on world affairs including reading from the Great Decisions Briefing Book and meeting weekly to discuss critical global issues facing America today.
Marjorie Schoen and other volunteers facilitate. In the event of a snow date, we will bump the discussion to the following week and extend the meetings accordingly. For more information, please visit the Great Decisions website.
CONTACT: Bernard Davidow 413-596-6141 bdavidow@wilbrahamlibrary.org
Great Decisions is America's largest discussion program on world affairs including reading from the Great Decisions Briefing Book and meeting weekly to discuss critical global issues facing America today.
Marjorie Schoen and other volunteers facilitate. In the event of a snow date, we will bump the discussion to the following week and extend the meetings accordingly. For more information, please visit the Great Decisions website.
CONTACT:
Bernard Davidow
413.596.6141
bdavidow@wilbrahamlibrary.org
Great Decisions is America's largest discussion program on world affairs including reading from the Great Decisions Briefing Book and meeting weekly to discuss critical global issues facing America today.
Marjorie Schoen and other volunteers facilitate. In the event of a snow date, we will bump the discussion to the following week and extend the meetings accordingly. For more information, please visit the Great Decisions website.
CONTACT: Bernard Davidow 413-596-6141 bdavidow@wilbrahamlibrary.org
Great Decisions is America's largest discussion program on world affairs including reading from the Great Decisions Briefing Book and meeting weekly to discuss critical global issues facing America today.
Marjorie Schoen and other volunteers facilitate. In the event of a snow date, we will bump the discussion to the following week and extend the meetings accordingly. For more information, please visit the Great Decisions website.
CONTACT:
Bernard Davidow
413.596.6141
bdavidow@wilbrahamlibrary.org
Eighteen-year-old Anna Frith tells the story of her remote English village, Eyam, which was infected by the plague in 1666 and where, persuaded by their vicar, the townspeople decided to quarantine themselves.
Eighteen-year-old Anna Frith tells the story of her remote English village, Eyam, which was infected by the plague in 1666 and where, persuaded by their vicar, the townspeople decided to quarantine themselves.
Glassland Ireland, 93 min.
John (Jack Reynor) lives with his mother, Jean (Toni Collette), in a social housing suburb and ekes out a meager living as a nocturnal taxi driver. John returns home one morning to find his mother unconscious from an alcohol overdose; however this was not the first time. Jean violently rejects John's attempts to help as well as his intentions to unite the family. When Jean is offered an opportunity to recover, and with no savings or insurance, John is forced to offer his services to a petty criminal to help pay for his mother's costly rehab program. John is subsequently faced with a life-changing task that may change him and his family's lives forever.
The monthly series of foreign and independent films is sponsored by the Friends of the Library. films are not rated by the MPAA and are intended for a mature audience. Admission is free, popcorn is served, and a discussion follows the screening.
Glassland Ireland, 93 min.
John (Jack Reynor) lives with his mother, Jean (Toni Collette), in a social housing suburb and ekes out a meager living as a nocturnal taxi driver. John returns home one morning to find his mother unconscious from an alcohol overdose; however this was not the first time. Jean violently rejects John's attempts to help as well as his intentions to unite the family. When Jean is offered an opportunity to recover, and with no savings or insurance, John is forced to offer his services to a petty criminal to help pay for his mother's costly rehab program. John is subsequently faced with a life-changing task that may change him and his family's lives forever.
The monthly series of foreign and independent films is sponsored by the Friends of the Library. films are not rated by the MPAA and are intended for a mature audience. Admission is free, popcorn is served, and a discussion follows the screening.
Great Decisions is America's largest discussion program on world affairs including reading from the Great Decisions Briefing Book and meeting weekly to discuss critical global issues facing America today.
Marjorie Schoen and other volunteers facilitate. In the event of a snow date, we will bump the discussion to the following week and extend the meetings accordingly. For more information, please visit the Great Decisions website.
CONTACT: Bernard Davidow 413-596-6141 bdavidow@wilbrahamlibrary.org
Great Decisions is America's largest discussion program on world affairs including reading from the Great Decisions Briefing Book and meeting weekly to discuss critical global issues facing America today.
Marjorie Schoen and other volunteers facilitate. In the event of a snow date, we will bump the discussion to the following week and extend the meetings accordingly. For more information, please visit the Great Decisions website.
CONTACT:
Bernard Davidow
413.596.6141
bdavidow@wilbrahamlibrary.org
When a custody battle divides her placid town, straitlaced family woman Elena Richardson finds herself pitted against her enigmatic tenant and becomes obsessed with exposing her past, only to trigger devastating consequences for both families.
The Booked for Lunch discussion group is facilitated by Library Director, Karen Demers. New members are always welcome. Click here to reserve the book.
When a custody battle divides her placid town, straitlaced family woman Elena Richardson finds herself pitted against her enigmatic tenant and becomes obsessed with exposing her past, only to trigger devastating consequences for both families.
The Booked for Lunch discussion group is facilitated by Library Director, Karen Demers. New members are always welcome. Click here to reserve the book.
Great Decisions is America's largest discussion program on world affairs including reading from the Great Decisions Briefing Book and meeting weekly to discuss critical global issues facing America today.
Marjorie Schoen and other volunteers facilitate. In the event of a snow date, we will bump the discussion to the following week and extend the meetings accordingly. For more information, please visit the Great Decisions website.
CONTACT: Bernard Davidow 413-596-6141 bdavidow@wilbrahamlibrary.org
Great Decisions is America's largest discussion program on world affairs including reading from the Great Decisions Briefing Book and meeting weekly to discuss critical global issues facing America today.
Marjorie Schoen and other volunteers facilitate. In the event of a snow date, we will bump the discussion to the following week and extend the meetings accordingly. For more information, please visit the Great Decisions website.
CONTACT:
Bernard Davidow
413.596.6141
bdavidow@wilbrahamlibrary.org
Great Decisions is America's largest discussion program on world affairs including reading from the Great Decisions Briefing Book and meeting weekly to discuss critical global issues facing America today.
Marjorie Schoen and other volunteers facilitate. In the event of a snow date, we will bump the discussion to the following week and extend the meetings accordingly. For more information, please visit the Great Decisions website.
CONTACT: Bernard Davidow 413-596-6141 bdavidow@wilbrahamlibrary.org
Great Decisions is America's largest discussion program on world affairs including reading from the Great Decisions Briefing Book and meeting weekly to discuss critical global issues facing America today.
Marjorie Schoen and other volunteers facilitate. In the event of a snow date, we will bump the discussion to the following week and extend the meetings accordingly. For more information, please visit the Great Decisions website.
CONTACT:
Bernard Davidow
413.596.6141
bdavidow@wilbrahamlibrary.org
Great Decisions is America's largest discussion program on world affairs including reading from the Great Decisions Briefing Book and meeting weekly to discuss critical global issues facing America today.
Marjorie Schoen and other volunteers facilitate. In the event of a snow date, we will bump the discussion to the following week and extend the meetings accordingly. For more information, please visit the Great Decisions website.
CONTACT: Bernard Davidow 413-596-6141 bdavidow@wilbrahamlibrary.org
Great Decisions is America's largest discussion program on world affairs including reading from the Great Decisions Briefing Book and meeting weekly to discuss critical global issues facing America today.
Marjorie Schoen and other volunteers facilitate. In the event of a snow date, we will bump the discussion to the following week and extend the meetings accordingly. For more information, please visit the Great Decisions website.
CONTACT:
Bernard Davidow
413.596.6141
bdavidow@wilbrahamlibrary.org
[The author] takes us into the poorest neighborhoods of Milwaukee to tell the story of eight families on the edge. Arleen is a single mother trying to raise her two sons on the 20 dollars a month she has left after paying for their rundown apartment. Scott is a gentle nurse consumed by a heroin addiction. Lamar, a man with no legs and a neighborhood full of boys to look after, tries to work his way out of debt. Vanetta participates in a botched stickup after her hours are cut. All are spending almost everything they have on rent, and all have fallen behind. The fates of these families are in the hands of two landlords: Sherrena Tarver, a former schoolteacher turned inner-city entrepreneur, and Tobin Charney, who runs one of the worst trailer parks in Milwaukee. They loathe some of their tenants and are fond of others, but as Sherrena puts it, "Love don't pay the bills." She moves to evict Arleen and her boys a few days before Christmas. Even in the most desolate areas of American cities, evictions used to be rare. But today, most poor renting families are spending more than half of their income on housing, and eviction has become ordinary, especially for single mothers. In vivid, intimate prose, Desmond provides a ground-level view of one of the most urgent issues facing America today.
[The author] takes us into the poorest neighborhoods of Milwaukee to tell the story of eight families on the edge. Arleen is a single mother trying to raise her two sons on the 20 dollars a month she has left after paying for their rundown apartment. Scott is a gentle nurse consumed by a heroin addiction. Lamar, a man with no legs and a neighborhood full of boys to look after, tries to work his way out of debt. Vanetta participates in a botched stickup after her hours are cut. All are spending almost everything they have on rent, and all have fallen behind. The fates of these families are in the hands of two landlords: Sherrena Tarver, a former schoolteacher turned inner-city entrepreneur, and Tobin Charney, who runs one of the worst trailer parks in Milwaukee. They loathe some of their tenants and are fond of others, but as Sherrena puts it, "Love don't pay the bills." She moves to evict Arleen and her boys a few days before Christmas. Even in the most desolate areas of American cities, evictions used to be rare. But today, most poor renting families are spending more than half of their income on housing, and eviction has become ordinary, especially for single mothers. In vivid, intimate prose, Desmond provides a ground-level view of one of the most urgent issues facing America today.
Theeb Jordan, UK, UAE, Qatar, 100 min.
Nominated for the 2016 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. In 1916, while war rages in the Ottoman Empire, Hussein raises his younger brother Theeb ("Wolf") in a traditional Bedouin community that is isolated by the vast, unforgiving desert. The brothers' quiet existence is suddenly interrupted when a British Army officer and his guide ask Hussein to escort them to a water well located along the old pilgrimage route to Mecca. So as not to dishonor his recently deceased father, Hussein agrees to lead them on the long and treacherous journey. The young, mischievous Theeb secretly chases after his brother, but the group soon find themselves trapped amidst threatening terrain riddled with Ottoman mercenaries, Arab revolutionaries, and outcast Bedouin raiders. Naji Abu Nowar's powerful and assured directorial debut, set in the land of Lawrence of Arabia, is a wondrous "Bedouin Western" about a boy who, in order to survive, must become a man and live up to the name his father gave him.
The monthly series of foreign and independent films is sponsored by the Friends of the Library. films are not rated by the MPAA and are intended for a mature audience. Admission is free, popcorn is served, and a discussion follows the screening.
Theeb Jordan, UK, UAE, Qatar, 100 min.
Nominated for the 2016 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. In 1916, while war rages in the Ottoman Empire, Hussein raises his younger brother Theeb ("Wolf") in a traditional Bedouin community that is isolated by the vast, unforgiving desert. The brothers' quiet existence is suddenly interrupted when a British Army officer and his guide ask Hussein to escort them to a water well located along the old pilgrimage route to Mecca. So as not to dishonor his recently deceased father, Hussein agrees to lead them on the long and treacherous journey. The young, mischievous Theeb secretly chases after his brother, but the group soon find themselves trapped amidst threatening terrain riddled with Ottoman mercenaries, Arab revolutionaries, and outcast Bedouin raiders. Naji Abu Nowar's powerful and assured directorial debut, set in the land of Lawrence of Arabia, is a wondrous "Bedouin Western" about a boy who, in order to survive, must become a man and live up to the name his father gave him.
The monthly series of foreign and independent films is sponsored by the Friends of the Library. films are not rated by the MPAA and are intended for a mature audience. Admission is free, popcorn is served, and a discussion follows the screening.
Great Decisions is America's largest discussion program on world affairs including reading from the Great Decisions Briefing Book and meeting weekly to discuss critical global issues facing America today.
Marjorie Schoen and other volunteers facilitate. In the event of a snow date, we will bump the discussion to the following week and extend the meetings accordingly. For more information, please visit the Great Decisions website.
CONTACT: Bernard Davidow 413-596-6141 bdavidow@wilbrahamlibrary.org
Great Decisions is America's largest discussion program on world affairs including reading from the Great Decisions Briefing Book and meeting weekly to discuss critical global issues facing America today.
Marjorie Schoen and other volunteers facilitate. In the event of a snow date, we will bump the discussion to the following week and extend the meetings accordingly. For more information, please visit the Great Decisions website.
CONTACT:
Bernard Davidow
413.596.6141
bdavidow@wilbrahamlibrary.org
Imagines the life story of Christina Olson, the subject of Andrew Wyeth's painting "Christina's World," describing the simple life she led on a remote Maine farm, her complicated relationship with her family, and the illness that incapacitated her.
The Booked for Lunch discussion group is facilitated by Library Director, Karen Demers. New members are always welcome. Click here to reserve the book.
Imagines the life story of Christina Olson, the subject of Andrew Wyeth's painting "Christina's World," describing the simple life she led on a remote Maine farm, her complicated relationship with her family, and the illness that incapacitated her.
The Booked for Lunch discussion group is facilitated by Library Director, Karen Demers. New members are always welcome. Click here to reserve the book.
With everyone onboard harboring dark secrets and at least one person determined to make sure the airship doesn't make the return trip, Flight of Dreams gives an utterly suspenseful, heart-wrenching explanation for one of the most enduring mysteries of the twentieth century. [The passengers on the Hindenberg] know more than they initially let on, and as the novel moves inexorably toward its tragic climax, the question of which of the passengers will survive the trip infuses every scene with a deliciously unbearable tension.
With everyone onboard harboring dark secrets and at least one person determined to make sure the airship doesn't make the return trip, Flight of Dreams gives an utterly suspenseful, heart-wrenching explanation for one of the most enduring mysteries of the twentieth century. [The passengers on the Hindenberg] know more than they initially let on, and as the novel moves inexorably toward its tragic climax, the question of which of the passengers will survive the trip infuses every scene with a deliciously unbearable tension.
Gathering to attend a wedding in the Berkshire Mountains of Massachusetts, seven former classmates find the reunion marked by the death of a spouse, a traumatic past event, a shocking secret, and health issues.
The Booked for Lunch discussion group is facilitated by Library Director, Karen Demers. New members are always welcome. Click here to reserve the book.
Gathering to attend a wedding in the Berkshire Mountains of Massachusetts, seven former classmates find the reunion marked by the death of a spouse, a traumatic past event, a shocking secret, and health issues.
The Booked for Lunch discussion group is facilitated by Library Director, Karen Demers. New members are always welcome. Click here to reserve the book.
As World War I raged across the globe, hundreds of young women toiled away at the radium-dial factories, where they painted clock faces with a mysterious new substance called radium. Assured by their bosses that the luminous material was safe, the women themselves shone brightly in the dark, covered from head to toe with the glowing dust. With such a coveted job, these "shining girls" were considered the luckiest alive--until they began to fall mysteriously ill. As the fatal poison of the radium took hold, they found themselves embroiled in one of America's biggest scandals and a groundbreaking battle for workers' rights. The Radium Girls explores the strength of extraordinary women in the face of almost impossible circumstances and the astonishing legacy they left behind.
As World War I raged across the globe, hundreds of young women toiled away at the radium-dial factories, where they painted clock faces with a mysterious new substance called radium. Assured by their bosses that the luminous material was safe, the women themselves shone brightly in the dark, covered from head to toe with the glowing dust. With such a coveted job, these "shining girls" were considered the luckiest alive--until they began to fall mysteriously ill. As the fatal poison of the radium took hold, they found themselves embroiled in one of America's biggest scandals and a groundbreaking battle for workers' rights. The Radium Girls explores the strength of extraordinary women in the face of almost impossible circumstances and the astonishing legacy they left behind.
Sea Fog South Korea, 111 min.
Kang, a long time captain of the Junjin, is disheartened to learn that his ship has been sold by its owner, leaving Kang's entire crew in danger of losing their livelihood. Swallowing his pride, Kang pays a visit to Yeo, a human trafficking broker, and decides to take on the dangerous job of smuggling illegal migrants into South Korea. When the Junjin arrives at the pickup point, a violent storm forces the boat to stall in the open waters, inevitably pitting Kang's crew against the migrants. As tension and unrest spread throughout the Junjin, a dense sea fog envelops the boat, and tragedy unfolds in the mysterious depths of the fog...
The monthly series of foreign and independent films is sponsored by the Friends of the Library. films are not rated by the MPAA and are intended for a mature audience. Admission is free, popcorn is served, and a discussion follows the screening.
Sea Fog South Korea, 111 min.
Kang, a long time captain of the Junjin, is disheartened to learn that his ship has been sold by its owner, leaving Kang's entire crew in danger of losing their livelihood. Swallowing his pride, Kang pays a visit to Yeo, a human trafficking broker, and decides to take on the dangerous job of smuggling illegal migrants into South Korea. When the Junjin arrives at the pickup point, a violent storm forces the boat to stall in the open waters, inevitably pitting Kang's crew against the migrants. As tension and unrest spread throughout the Junjin, a dense sea fog envelops the boat, and tragedy unfolds in the mysterious depths of the fog...
The monthly series of foreign and independent films is sponsored by the Friends of the Library. films are not rated by the MPAA and are intended for a mature audience. Admission is free, popcorn is served, and a discussion follows the screening.
Living with his grandparents and sister on a Gulf Coast farm, Jojo navigates the challenges of his mother's addictions and his grandmother's cancer before the release of his father from prison prompts a road trip of danger and hope.
The Booked for Lunch discussion group is facilitated by Library Director, Karen Demers. New members are always welcome. Click here to reserve the book.
Living with his grandparents and sister on a Gulf Coast farm, Jojo navigates the challenges of his mother's addictions and his grandmother's cancer before the release of his father from prison prompts a road trip of danger and hope.
The Booked for Lunch discussion group is facilitated by Library Director, Karen Demers. New members are always welcome. Click here to reserve the book.
Honora and Sexton Beecher find their lives forever changed when they are rendered virtually penniless by the crash of the stock market, forcing Sexton to work in a nearby mill, a job that is plagued by violence, and as they try to reconstruct their marriage and home, they are confronted by passions of every kind.
Honora and Sexton Beecher find their lives forever changed when they are rendered virtually penniless by the crash of the stock market, forcing Sexton to work in a nearby mill, a job that is plagued by violence, and as they try to reconstruct their marriage and home, they are confronted by passions of every kind.
Julie Stepanek is back to teach some new chords and new songs! With an upbeat personality and loads of musical talent, Julie will have the whole group strumming on the ukulele in no time at all. Beginners to advanced ukulele players are welcome. Please join us for this fun, unique and interactive event!
Julie Stepanek is back to teach some new chords and new songs! With an upbeat personality and loads of musical talent, Julie will have the whole group strumming on the ukulele in no time at all. Beginners to advanced ukulele players are welcome. Please join us for this fun, unique and interactive event!
When a sleepwalker who has experienced episodes of near violence while unconscious goes missing, her eldest daughter, Lianna, finds herself drawn to a lead detective who seems to know more than he is revealing.
The Booked for Lunch discussion group is facilitated by Library Director, Karen Demers. New members are always welcome. Click here to reserve the book.
When a sleepwalker who has experienced episodes of near violence while unconscious goes missing, her eldest daughter, Lianna, finds herself drawn to a lead detective who seems to know more than he is revealing.
The Booked for Lunch discussion group is facilitated by Library Director, Karen Demers. New members are always welcome. Click here to reserve the book.
Cora is a slave on a cotton plantation in Georgia. When Caesar, a recent arrival from Virginia, tells her about the Underground Railroad, they decide to take a terrifying risk and escape. Though they manage to find a station and head north, they are being hunted. Their first stop is South Carolina, in a city that initially seems like a haven. But the city's placid surface masks an insidious scheme designed for its black denizens. And even worse: Ridgeway, the relentless slave catcher, is close on their heels. Forced to flee again, Cora embarks on a harrowing flight, state by state, seeking true freedom.
Cora is a slave on a cotton plantation in Georgia. When Caesar, a recent arrival from Virginia, tells her about the Underground Railroad, they decide to take a terrifying risk and escape. Though they manage to find a station and head north, they are being hunted. Their first stop is South Carolina, in a city that initially seems like a haven. But the city's placid surface masks an insidious scheme designed for its black denizens. And even worse: Ridgeway, the relentless slave catcher, is close on their heels. Forced to flee again, Cora embarks on a harrowing flight, state by state, seeking true freedom.
Going undercover to infiltrate the seedy side of mid-nineteenth-century Chicago, Kate Warne, the first female Pinkerton detective, assumes a range of sophisticated identities to track down evildoers and bring them to justice. The Booked for Lunch discussion group is facilitated by Library Director, Karen Demers. New members are always welcome. Click here to reserve the book.
Going undercover to infiltrate the seedy side of mid-nineteenth-century Chicago, Kate Warne, the first female Pinkerton detective, assumes a range of sophisticated identities to track down evildoers and bring them to justice. The Booked for Lunch discussion group is facilitated by Library Director, Karen Demers. New members are always welcome. Click here to reserve the book.
Tara Westover was seventeen the first time she set foot in a classroom. Born to survivalists in the mountains of Idaho, she prepared for the end of the world by stockpiling home-canned peaches and sleeping with her "head-for-the-hills bag." In the summer she stewed herbs for her mother, a midwife and healer, and in the winter she salvaged in her father's junkyard. The family was so isolated from mainstream society that there was no one to ensure the children received an education, and no one to intervene when one of Tara's older brothers became violent. As a way out, Tara began to educate herself, learning enough mathematics and grammar to be admitted to Brigham Young University. Her quest for knowledge would transform her, taking her over oceans and across continents, to Harvard and to Cambridge. Only then would she wonder if she'd traveled too far, if there was still a way home. With the acute insight that distinguishes all great writers, Tara Westover has crafted a universal coming-of-age story that gets to the heart of what an education offers: the perspective to see one's life through new eyes, and the will to change it.
Tara Westover was seventeen the first time she set foot in a classroom. Born to survivalists in the mountains of Idaho, she prepared for the end of the world by stockpiling home-canned peaches and sleeping with her "head-for-the-hills bag." In the summer she stewed herbs for her mother, a midwife and healer, and in the winter she salvaged in her father's junkyard. The family was so isolated from mainstream society that there was no one to ensure the children received an education, and no one to intervene when one of Tara's older brothers became violent. As a way out, Tara began to educate herself, learning enough mathematics and grammar to be admitted to Brigham Young University. Her quest for knowledge would transform her, taking her over oceans and across continents, to Harvard and to Cambridge. Only then would she wonder if she'd traveled too far, if there was still a way home. With the acute insight that distinguishes all great writers, Tara Westover has crafted a universal coming-of-age story that gets to the heart of what an education offers: the perspective to see one's life through new eyes, and the will to change it.
In 1939 San Francisco, Alma falls in love with Ichimei, the gardener's son, who is sent to an internment camp, but although they reunite, they must hide their love, until in old age her caregiver and her grandson learn about their secret passion. The Booked for Lunch discussion group is facilitated by Library Director, Karen Demers. New members are always welcome. Click here to reserve the book.
In 1939 San Francisco, Alma falls in love with Ichimei, the gardener's son, who is sent to an internment camp, but although they reunite, they must hide their love, until in old age her caregiver and her grandson learn about their secret passion. The Booked for Lunch discussion group is facilitated by Library Director, Karen Demers. New members are always welcome. Click here to reserve the book.
A heart-wrenching novel that gives voice to two mothers: a young undocumented Mexican woman and an Indian-American wife whose love for one lucky boy will bind their fates together Solimar Castro-Valdez is eighteen and drunk on optimism when she embarks on a perilous journey across the US/Mexican border. Weeks later she arrives on her cousin's doorstep in Berkeley, CA, dazed by first love found then lost, and pregnant. This was not the plan. But amid the uncertainty of new motherhood and her American identity, Soli learns that when you have just one precious possession, you guard it with your life. For Soli, motherhood becomes her dwelling and the boy at her breast her hearth. Kavya Reddy has always followed her heart, much to her parents' chagrin. A mostly contented chef at a UC Berkeley sorority house, the unexpected desire to have a child descends like a cyclone in Kavya's mid-thirties.
A heart-wrenching novel that gives voice to two mothers: a young undocumented Mexican woman and an Indian-American wife whose love for one lucky boy will bind their fates together Solimar Castro-Valdez is eighteen and drunk on optimism when she embarks on a perilous journey across the US/Mexican border. Weeks later she arrives on her cousin's doorstep in Berkeley, CA, dazed by first love found then lost, and pregnant. This was not the plan. But amid the uncertainty of new motherhood and her American identity, Soli learns that when you have just one precious possession, you guard it with your life. For Soli, motherhood becomes her dwelling and the boy at her breast her hearth. Kavya Reddy has always followed her heart, much to her parents' chagrin. A mostly contented chef at a UC Berkeley sorority house, the unexpected desire to have a child descends like a cyclone in Kavya's mid-thirties.
Growing up on idyllic St. Thomas in the early 1800s, Rachel dreams of life in faraway Paris. Rachel's mother, a pillar of their small refugee community of Jews who escaped the Inquisition, has never forgiven her daughter for being a difficult girl who refuses to live by the rules. Growing up, Rachel's salvation is their maid Adelle's belief in her strengths, and her deep, life-long friendship with Jestine, Adelle's daughter. But Rachel's life is not her own. She is married off to a widower with three children to save her father's business. When her husband dies suddenly and his handsome, much younger nephew, Fréderick, arrives from France to settle the estate, Rachel seizes her own life story, beginning a defiant, passionate love affair that sparks a scandal that affects all of her family, including her favorite son, who will become one of the greatest artists of France. The Booked for Lunch discussion group is facilitated by Library Director, Karen Demers. New members are always welcome. Click here to reserve the book.
Growing up on idyllic St. Thomas in the early 1800s, Rachel dreams of life in faraway Paris. Rachel's mother, a pillar of their small refugee community of Jews who escaped the Inquisition, has never forgiven her daughter for being a difficult girl who refuses to live by the rules. Growing up, Rachel's salvation is their maid Adelle's belief in her strengths, and her deep, life-long friendship with Jestine, Adelle's daughter. But Rachel's life is not her own. She is married off to a widower with three children to save her father's business. When her husband dies suddenly and his handsome, much younger nephew, Fréderick, arrives from France to settle the estate, Rachel seizes her own life story, beginning a defiant, passionate love affair that sparks a scandal that affects all of her family, including her favorite son, who will become one of the greatest artists of France. The Booked for Lunch discussion group is facilitated by Library Director, Karen Demers. New members are always welcome. Click here to reserve the book.
Vance, a former marine and Yale Law School graduate, provides an account of growing up in a poor Rust Belt town that offers a broader, probing look at the struggles of America's white working class. The decline of this group, a demographic of our country that has been slowly disintegrating over forty years, has been reported on with growing frequency and alarm. J.D. Vance tells the true story of what a social, regional, and class decline feels like when you were born with it hung around your neck. The Vance family story begins hopefully in postwar America. J.D.'s grandparents were "dirt poor and in love," and moved north from Kentucky's Appalachia region to Ohio in the hopes of escaping the dreadful poverty around them. They raised a middle-class family, and eventually their grandchild (the author) would graduate from Yale Law School, a conventional marker of their success in achieving generational upward mobility. But as the family saga of Hillbilly Elegy plays out, we learn that this is only the short, superficial version. Vance's grandparents, aunt, uncle, sister, and, most of all, his mother, struggled profoundly with the demands of their new middle-class life, and were never able to fully escape the legacy of abuse, alcoholism, poverty, and trauma so characteristic of their part of America.
Vance, a former marine and Yale Law School graduate, provides an account of growing up in a poor Rust Belt town that offers a broader, probing look at the struggles of America's white working class. The decline of this group, a demographic of our country that has been slowly disintegrating over forty years, has been reported on with growing frequency and alarm. J.D. Vance tells the true story of what a social, regional, and class decline feels like when you were born with it hung around your neck. The Vance family story begins hopefully in postwar America. J.D.'s grandparents were "dirt poor and in love," and moved north from Kentucky's Appalachia region to Ohio in the hopes of escaping the dreadful poverty around them. They raised a middle-class family, and eventually their grandchild (the author) would graduate from Yale Law School, a conventional marker of their success in achieving generational upward mobility. But as the family saga of Hillbilly Elegy plays out, we learn that this is only the short, superficial version. Vance's grandparents, aunt, uncle, sister, and, most of all, his mother, struggled profoundly with the demands of their new middle-class life, and were never able to fully escape the legacy of abuse, alcoholism, poverty, and trauma so characteristic of their part of America.
A secretly heartbroken woman who prefers books to people finds her world upended by the arrivals of a poet, a lover, and three suspicious deliveries that reveal that someone has found out about her mysterious past.
The Booked for Lunch discussion group is facilitated by Library Director, Karen Demers. New members are always welcome.
Click here to reserve the book.
A secretly heartbroken woman who prefers books to people finds her world upended by the arrivals of a poet, a lover, and three suspicious deliveries that reveal that someone has found out about her mysterious past.
The Booked for Lunch discussion group is facilitated by Library Director, Karen Demers. New members are always welcome.
Click here to reserve the book.
When the revered children's book author Mort Lear dies accidentally at his Connecticut home, he leaves his property and all its contents to his trusted assistant, Tomasina Daulair, who is moved by his generosity but dismayed by the complicated and defiant directives in his will. Tommy knew Morty for more than four decades, since meeting him in a Manhattan playground when she was twelve and he was working on sketches for the book that would make him a star. By the end of his increasingly reclusive life, she found herself living in his house as confidante and helpmeet, witness not just to his daily routines but to the emotional fallout of his strange boyhood and his volatile relationship with a lover who died of AIDS. Now Tommy must try to honor Morty's last wishes while grappling with their effects on several people, including Dani Daulair, her estranged brother; Meredith Galarza, the lonely, outraged museum curator to whom Lear once promised his artistic estate; and Nicholas Greene, the beguiling British actor cast to play Mort Lear in a movie.
When the revered children's book author Mort Lear dies accidentally at his Connecticut home, he leaves his property and all its contents to his trusted assistant, Tomasina Daulair, who is moved by his generosity but dismayed by the complicated and defiant directives in his will. Tommy knew Morty for more than four decades, since meeting him in a Manhattan playground when she was twelve and he was working on sketches for the book that would make him a star. By the end of his increasingly reclusive life, she found herself living in his house as confidante and helpmeet, witness not just to his daily routines but to the emotional fallout of his strange boyhood and his volatile relationship with a lover who died of AIDS. Now Tommy must try to honor Morty's last wishes while grappling with their effects on several people, including Dani Daulair, her estranged brother; Meredith Galarza, the lonely, outraged museum curator to whom Lear once promised his artistic estate; and Nicholas Greene, the beguiling British actor cast to play Mort Lear in a movie.
