100 Main Street, Alton, New Hampshire 03809, United States
ALTON BOOK CHAT
to MARCH 21st upstairs in the Friend's Corner
MARCH 14th meeting rescheduled
Unless otherwise noted, meetings are held on the second Tuesday each month, beginning at 7:00 pm. Call the library at 875-2550 to reserve your copy of the next book discussion title and get in on the fun!
Alton Book Chat, established in 1999, is a library-sponsored book discussion group that meets monthly in the Agnes Thompson Meeting Room (lower-level entrance), Gilman Library, 100 Main St., Alton, NH 03809
MARCH 14th meeting rescheduled
to MARCH 21st upstairs in the Friend's Corner
MARCH 14th meeting rescheduled
The March 14th meeting of Alton Book Chat was postponed due to the storm and has been rescheduled for Tuesday, March 21st at 7:00 pm. The Group will meet upstairs on the main floor of the library in the Friends Corner. The Friend's Corner is located in the front of the Adult wing, the John D. & Anna L Williams Room. The April Book Chat will meet at the regular time and place as scheduled on April 11th.
to MARCH 21st upstairs in the Friend's Corner
to MARCH 21st upstairs in the Friend's Corner
to MARCH 21st upstairs in the Friend's Corner
image and description from amazon.com
The Child Finder : a novel
by Rene Denfeld
“Aptly unclassifiable, Denfeld’s compulsively readable second novel calls on elements of horror, mystery, fairy tales, and even romance to explore legacies of violence and the resilience of the most vulnerable among us.” — Booklist
A haunting, richly atmospheric, and deeply suspenseful novel from the acclaimed author of The Enchanted about an investigator who must use her unique insights to find a missing little girl.
Three years ago, Madison Culver disappeared when her family was choosing a Christmas tree in Oregon’s Skookum National Forest. She would be eight-years-old now—if she has survived. Desperate to find their beloved daughter, certain someone took her, the Culvers turn to Naomi, a private investigator with an uncanny talent for locating the lost and missing. Known to the police and a select group of parents as "the Child Finder," Naomi is their last hope.
Naomi’s methodical search takes her deep into the icy, mysterious forest in the Pacific Northwest, and into her own fragmented past. She understands children like Madison because once upon a time, she was a lost girl, too.
As Naomi relentlessly pursues and slowly uncovers the truth behind Madison’s disappearance, shards of a dark dream pierce the defenses that have protected her, reminding her of a terrible loss she feels but cannot remember. If she finds Madison, will Naomi ultimately unlock the secrets of her own life?
Told in the alternating voices of Naomi and a deeply imaginative child, The Child Finder is a breathtaking, exquisitely rendered literary page-turner about redemption, the line between reality and memories and dreams, and the human capacity to survive.
April 11
April 11
April 11
image and description from amazon.com
The Henna Artist
by Alka Joshi
Escaping from an abusive marriage, seventeen-year-old Lakshmi makes her way alone to the vibrant 1950s pink city of Jaipur. There she becomes the most highly requested henna artist—and confidante—to the wealthy women of the upper class. But trusted with the secrets of the wealthy, she can never reveal her own…
Known for her original designs and sage advice, Lakshmi must tread carefully to avoid the jealous gossips who could ruin her reputation and her livelihood. As she pursues her dream of an independent life, she is startled one day when she is confronted by her husband, who has tracked her down these many years later with a high-spirited young girl in tow—a sister Lakshmi never knew she had. Suddenly the caution that she has carefully cultivated as protection is threatened. Still she perseveres, applying her talents and lifting up those that surround her as she does.
May 9
April 11
April 11
image and description from amazon.com
The Four Winds
by Kristin Hannah
Texas, 1921. A time of abundance. The Great War is over, the bounty of the land is plentiful, and America is on the brink of a new and optimistic era. But for Elsa Wolcott, deemed too old to marry in a time when marriage is a woman’s only option, the future seems bleak. Until the night she meets Rafe Martinelli and decides to change the direction of her life. With her reputation in ruin, there is only one respectable choice: marriage to a man she barely knows.
By 1934, the world has changed; millions are out of work and drought has devastated the Great Plains. Farmers are fighting to keep their land and their livelihoods as crops fail and water dries up and the earth cracks open. Dust storms roll relentlessly across the plains. Everything on the Martinelli farm is dying, including Elsa’s tenuous marriage; each day is a desperate battle against nature and a fight to keep her children alive.
In this uncertain and perilous time, Elsa―like so many of her neighbors―must make an agonizing choice: fight for the land she loves or leave it behind and go west, to California, in search of a better life for her family.
The Four Winds is a rich, sweeping novel that stunningly brings to life the Great Depression and the people who lived through it―the harsh realities that divided us as a nation and the enduring battle between the haves and the have-nots. A testament to hope, resilience, and the strength of the human spirit to survive adversity, The Four Winds is an indelible portrait of America and the American dream, as seen through the eyes of one indomitable woman whose courage and sacrifice will come to define a generation.
June 13
April 11
June 13
image and description from amazon.com
The Girl on the Carpathia: A Novel of the Titanic
by Eileen Enwright Hodgetts
North Atlantic Ocean, 1912. Kate Royston is a witness to history as the RMS Carpathia responds to the Titanic’s desperate SOS. Kate plans to escape personal tragedy by fleeing to Europe but everything changes when the Carpathia races to save the Titanic's survivors.
Forced to return to New York, Kate abandons her hope of escape and becomes embroiled as a vital witness in the high profile Senate investigation of the disaster.
Fueled by public rage and political in-fighting, the investigation becomes a witch-hunt. Although Kate knows the truth she’s terrified that pitting her eyewitness account against ruthless, powerful men will leave her ruined. As she struggles to make a decision, her heart leads her to two men - a powerful lawman and a handsome young radio operator.
Can Kate find happiness in the midst of tragedy?
Meticulously researched and using actual witness testimony, The Girl on the Carpathia begins where most Titanic stories end and answers the questions “What happened next?” and "Who was to blame?"
The Girl on the Carpathia is a gripping standalone historical novel inspired by real events. If you like passionate characters, surprising revelations, and endearing romances, then you’ll love Eileen Enwright Hodgetts' seamless blend of fact and fiction.