Friday, January 9, 2015

Jones Library - On the Same Page community reading program

Amherst, MA – The Jones Library is holding its third On the Same Page community reading program, this year featuring the novel The Girl Who Fell from the Sky by award-winning author Heidi W. Durrow.  The entire Amherst community is invited to read the book and participate in the related programs which will be held in February and March 2015. On the Same Page – Amherst will culminate in an author appearance to be held on Wednesday, March 11, 2015 at the Munson Memorial Library Hall in South Amherst. 

On The Same Page - Amherst is designed to bring the local community together by encouraging residents to read the same book and by offering programming and opportunities for discussion about the book and the themes it contains.   Now a featured annual event, On the Same Page – Amherst explores a different book each year, to include a variety of themes, topics, genres, and writing styles.

The Girl Who Fell from the Sky was winner of the PEN/Bellwether Prize for Socially Engaged Fiction in 2008.  The PEN/Bellwether Prize is awarded biennially to the author of a previously unpublished novel of high literary caliber that promotes fiction that addresses issues of social justice and the impact of culture and politics on human relationships.  Set in the 1980s, this novel tells the story of Rachel, the daughter of a Danish mother and a black G.I. who becomes the sole survivor of a family tragedy.

Heidi W. Durrow is the New York Times best-selling author of The Girl Who Fell from the Sky (Algonquin Books), which received writer Barbara Kingsolver’s PEN/Bellwether Prize for Socially Engaged Fiction, and is a book club favorite. The Girl Who Fell from the Sky has been hailed as one of the Best Novels of 2010 by the Washington Post, a Top 10 Book of 2010 by The Oregonian, and named a Top 10 Debut of 2010 by Booklist.

For further information about the On the Same Page - Amherst, please contact Janet Ryan at 413/259-3223.