February 21, 2023 – Join the 22nd annual Flagler Reads Together during the month of March and dive into the novel “Our Missing Hearts” to coincide with Women’s History Month and National Library Week.
“In this story we will follow the life of 12-year-old Bird Gardner in search of his mother Margaret, a poet whose work was deemed unpatriotic,” said Chief of Special Projects and Library Director Holly Albanese of the book written by best selling author Celeste Ng. “This is a thought-provoking and timely story that depicts acts of racism, book banning and political protests. It also pays homage to librarians as they become part of an underground network sharing information to help reunite families.”
As in past years, the Friends of the Library sponsor associated programs throughout the reading timeframe.
These programs include the following:
- Saturday, March 4 – kickoff celebration with an open mic poetry reading from 1 to 2:30 p.m. called “Words Worth Speaking” with a theme of diversity and inclusion.
- Wednesday, March 22 – Flagler County Book Club Discussion from 2:45 to 4:30 p.m. on the chosen selection “Our Missing Hearts”
- Friday, March 24 – Movie Matinee from 1 to 4 p.m. featuring a movie from 1990 based on a futuristic dystopian novel set in near-future New England in a patriarchal, totalitarian state known as the Republic of Gilead, which has overthrown the United States government.
“We are very excited about having a book for Flagler Reads Together that gives us the opportunity to bring our diverse community together to talk about timely topics,” Albanese said. “Please join us in the pages of ‘Our Missing Hearts’ and in person for our programs.”
Ng has three novels that have all made it to the “New York Times” bestseller list. She is a graduate of Harvard University and earned an MFA from the University of Michigan (now the Helen Zell Writers’ Program at the University of Michigan).
The Board of County Commissioners at its regular meeting on Monday, February 20, approved a proclamation for Flagler Reads Together.
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