Reading to Explore the Valley & the Berkshires

Moderators: Wunderley Stauder and Ruth Kosiorek
Role of participants: Lead or co-lead a book discussion and present a brief report on an historical or biographical subject.
Number of participants (including the moderator): 14
Time: Mondays, 1:30-3:30 pm [Note: no seminar October 19] Place: Easthampton Lathrop, Mount Tom Room, 100 Bassett Brook Drive
Parking: Ample parking on site

What do books set in the towns in which we live reveal about the atmosphere and history of our local communities?

We will read 4 novels and 2 nonfiction books. As each book captures an historic period, topics for presentation can range from the Great Awakening, the silk industry, or be about a person from another time. We will also discuss how the authors write local history into compelling stories, even mysteries.

Format: Seminar

Resources:

  • The Red Garden by Alice Hoffman
  • Spider in the Tree by Susan Stinson
  • Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton
  • The Unredeemed Captive by John Demos
  • In the Shadow of the Dam by Elizabeth Sharpe
  • And one of the five mysteries set in Amherst and Northampton.

The Moderators: Wunderley has led book discussions before. As a retired librarian, she knows books and how to share them. Her field was American History. Ruth is well known in LIR.