February 14, 2012
All Things at Once by Mika Brzezinski
“Having It All,” the title of the modern Superwoman’s to-do list,
implies a sequential mastery of the tasks at hand. Career? Check.
Husband? Check. Kids? Check. Yet instead of accomplishing her life’s
goals one at a time, Brzezinski managed to juggle them more or less
simultaneously. Occasionally, however, something came crashing down, and
it was one such literal fall—down a flight of stairs with her
four-month-old daughter in her arms—that caused the bright young star of
broadcast journalism to rethink her priorities.
Brzezinski offers a realistically
detailed portrait of the pitfalls to be avoided on one’s professional
and personal paths to success.
March 13, 2012
Caleb’s Crossing by Geraldine Brooks
The narrator of the story is
Bethia Mayfield, growing up in the tiny settlement of Great Harbor amid a
small band of pioneers and Puritans. Restless and curious, she yearns
after an education that is closed to her by her sex. As often as she
can, she slips away to explore the island's glistening beaches and
observe its native Wampanoag inhabitants. At twelve, she encounters
Caleb, the young son of a chieftain, and the two forge a tentative
secret friendship.
Bethia's minister father tries to convert the Wampanoag. One of his projects becomes the education of Caleb, and a year
later, Caleb is in Cambridge. There, Bethia finds herself reluctantly indentured as a
housekeeper and can closely observe Caleb's crossing of cultures.
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Westerly Public Library book discussion group is open to all readers of the current book. Each month's selection is listed on this website and in the on-paper calendar which is mailed to members of the Friends of the Library and Park, also available at the Circulation and Reference desks.
The group meets year-round on the second Tuesday of the month at 1 pm in the Library. Participants choose the books and share responsibility for discussions.
Book Discussions