Greenwich Reads Together sets up programs that go beyond the books
GREENWICH — A conversation between the author of “Mountains Beyond Mountains” and one of the central characters of the book about the quest of a “man who would cure the world” will be one of the hallmark events in the Greenwich Reads Together program.
The goal of the annual Greenwich Reads Together program is to unite the community in experiencing books collectively — and an author talk is usually part of the programming. In addition to “Mountains Beyond Mountains” by Pulitzer Prize winner Tracy Kidder, this year’s program will also feature “Just Mercy” by Bryan Stevenson.
A literary journalist, Kidder will be featured in conversation with Ophelia Dahl, the daughter of actress Patricia Neal and writer Roald Dahl, in a virtual event at 7 p.m. on Oct. 27.
The book tells the true story of Dr. Paul Farmer and Dahl, who are among the co-founders of Partners In Health, a global health nonprofit health care organization that seeks “to bring the benefits of modern medical science to those most in need of them and to serve as an antidote to despair.”
In the talk, Kidder and Dahl “will provide new insights, touch on the history of Partners in Health, and discuss what the organization is currently working on in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic,” the library said. “Don’t miss this unique opportunity to hear from the author of one of this year’s GRT book selections during the live, virtual conversation.”
The programming will also feature the screening of a 2019 movie adaptation of “Just Mercy,” starring Michael B. Jordan, Brie Larson and Jamie Foxx, at 7 p.m. Oct. 28 at the Avon Theatre in Stamford.
“Just Mercy” details Stevenson’s true story about founding the Equal Justice Initiative, which is dedicated to defending the poor, the wrongly condemned and women and children trapped in the farthest reaches of the criminal justice system.
More than 20 programs are on the schedule for Greenwich Reads Together. Copies of both books can be checked out, contact free, at Greenwich Library in all formats or purchased at Diane’s Books. It is not mandatory to read the books to take part in the events, but it is recommended.
“The Greenwich community will have the opportunity to engage in a wide variety of activities centered on the major themes of the two nonfiction books,” the library said in a statement. “Both works explore themes that have been especially prevalent in the last year, including public health and racial justice.”
For a full list of GRT programs, visit www.greenwichreadstogether.org, which also includes links to author interviews, book discussion guides, reviews and more.
The Retired Men’s Association of Greenwich will also host two GRT events. At 11 a.m. Oct. 21, Claudine Humure, partnership coordinator at the University of Global Health Equity in Rwanda, and Lesley King, a board member at Partners In Health, will hold a virtual discussion on “A Second Chance at Life.”
At 11 a.m. Oct. 28, the RMA will feature the Rev. Thomas Nins, senior pastor at First Baptist Church Greenwich, in a virtual talk on “Diversity in Greenwich: Today’s Opportunities and Challenges.”
A related event will be at 7 p.m. Oct. 21, when the GRT hosts a “Date With an Author” featuring Issac Bailey, who will take part in a virtual discussion with librarian Stephen Schmidt about his book, “My Brother Moochie: Regaining Dignity in the Face of Crime, Poverty, and Racism in the American South.” The first-person account “combines a journalist’s skilled reporting with the raw emotion of a younger brother’s heartfelt testimony of what his family endured after his eldest brother killed a man and was sentenced to life in prison,” the library said.
At 7 p.m. Oct. 22, Newbery Award-winning children’s poet Kwame Alexander will read from “The Undefeated,” which was chosen by Greenwich Reads Together as the children’s companion book. The virtual reading will be followed by a Q&A moderated by children’s librarian Deirdre Sullivan.
At 4 p.m. Oct. 29, Nancy Churnin, author of “Manjhi Moves a Mountain,” will be featured in a virtual talk from the Cos Cob Library. The book, which tells how Manjhi “used a hammer and chisel, grit and 20 years to carve a path through the mountain separating his poor village from the nearby village with schools, markets, and a hospital,” the library said. The book is another children’s selection in the GRT.
There will also be discussion groups for children and teens as well as for adults. For more information on events, visit www.greenwichlibrary.org.