Tilton Library

VIRTUAL FAMILY TRIVIA: Disney!
2021-01-16 15:00 - 16:30 (America/New_York) | MA
The Tilton Library is co-hosting this Free virtual program:

Join us for an afternoon of family-friendly Disney trivia, hosted by local Youth Services Librarian, Olivia Chartrand!
All ages and teams of any number welcome to participate. Questions geared for 6-years-old and up.

*IMPORTANT: You MUST email the Tilton Library at tiltonlibrary@cwmars.org 1-2 days before (so January 14 and 15) to register. We will give your email address to the host the day before.*

VIRTUAL WEEKLY CLASS: Qigong for Adults
2021-01-18 10:30 - 23:30, 2021-01-25 10:30 - 23:30, 2021-02-01 10:30 - 23:30, 2021-02-08 10:30 - 23:30, 2021-02-15 10:30 - 23:30, 2021-02-22 10:30 - 23:30, 2021-03-01 10:30 - 23:30, 2021-03-08 10:30 - 23:30 and 3 more dates
TILTON IS CO-HOSTING THIS FREE WEEKLY CLASS, SPONSORED BY SUNDERLAND LIBRARY.
Dvora Eisenstein leads this free weekly Qigong class on Zoom. Qigong is an ancient Chinese health care system integrating slow movements, breathing techniques, and focused intention. Qigong calms your mind, improves your balance, and enhances health. This practice is suitable for all levels of ability and ages. Anyone may join this free class at any time.
TO JOIN, CLICK THIS ZOOM LINK:
https://zoom.us/j/117278043

VIRTUAL BOOK DISCUSSION: Stamped - Racism, Antiracism, and You
2021-01-18 18:30 - 20:00
Join us as we co-host a discussion (via Zoom) of the book
Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You
by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi
as we commemorate the birthday of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
(Eighth graders at Frontier Regional School are also reading this same title.)
To receive the Zoom link, send an email to:
SunderlandHRtaskforce@gmail.com
Copies of the book are available for checkout at the
Sunderland Public Library and the Tilton Library (Deerfield).
Cosponsored by the Sunderland Human Rights Commission Working Group and the Deerfield Inclusion Group.
For more information, contact Kim at 413-475-0113.

VIRTUAL PRESENTATION: Easy Walks with Marjorie Turner Hollman
2021-01-19 18:30 - 20:00
The Tilton Library is co-hosting the Free virtual program!

Are you looking to get outside, but don’t know where to start? Looking for an inclusive hike that everyone from small children to people with limited mobility can enjoy? Join Libraries in the Woods – a collaborative group of 20+ Franklin County libraries – on Zoom for this great program! Email the Tilton Library at tiltonlibrary@cwmars.org for the link.

The outdoors has been a refuge for many of us throughout the pandemic this year. However, many places we visit are crowded, and some are not well-suited to our abilities.

Marjorie has lots of suggestions, experience and ideas that can help you have a more positive experience in the outdoors. She has traveled all over Massachusetts, and will share photos, recommend great places, and share “How to find” strategies and suggestions. Her presentation will also include basics about dressing in layers, what to bring with you, how to carry things safely and more.

Marjorie Turner Hollman is a writer who loves the outdoors, and has completed three guides to Easy Walking trails in Massachusetts. She has recently released her latest book, Finding Easy Walks Wherever You Are. With limited mobility, she uses hiking poles when heading outdoors. She has been published in local, regional, and national publications. https://marjorieturner.com/easy-walks/

This is a Libraries in the Woods program

VIRTUAL TALK: Homeschooling Your Unique Child
2021-01-25 16:00 - 17:00
The Tilton is co-hosting this FREE Virtual program, sponsored by The Northfield Public Library and Libraries in the Woods.

Local educator Susan Scott addresses the contemporary challenge of educating your children at home in a short book that we’ll provide to you called It Starts with the Child: Understanding Your Child’s Unique Personality.

Email dmemlib@gmail.com for a copy of this 17-page book, read it, and bring your questions for a brief online conversation that is focused on identifying your child’s unique learning style, and how you can support them through educational practices at home. Sue was a homeschooling educator for 25 years, and has a degree in human development.

VIRTUAL PRESENTATION: Making Vegetarian Asian Coleslaw
2021-01-28 19:00 - 20:00
The Tilton is co-hosting this FREE Virtual program, sponsored by The Northfield Public Library and Libraries in the Woods.

Leslie Cerier, the Organic Gourmet presents an online cooking demo, Vegetarian Asian Coleslaw, a protein-rich dish using locally grown produce.

Email dmemlib@gmail.com to register for this Zoom program.

VIRTUAL TALK: Birding in Massachusetts and Beyond
2021-02-04 19:00 - 20:30
The Tilton is co-hosting this FREE Virtual program, sponsored by The Northfield Public Library and Libraries in the Woods.

A virtual presentation by John R. Nelson, author of 2019 book Flight Calls: Exploring Massachusetts through Birds.

John writes, “In search of birds I’ve gone further and further afield, first to birdy spots around Massachusetts…next cross-country to the Rio Grande and saguaro deserts, then beyond to whole new families of birds in Belize, Brazil, Botswana, Bhutan, and Borneo….The more time I spend with birds, the more they’ve become sources of stimulation, not just visual treats or searches rewarded. They’ve catalyzed the childlike curiosity, one of the great blessings of being human, that becomes dormant in so many of us.”

Email dmemlib@gmail.com to register for this Zoom program.

Kids Pop-up Event: Take the Library to Your Child Day!
2021-02-06 11:00 - 15:00
Libraries usually have a ‘Bring your child to the library day’ in the heart of winter. This year’s twist is ‘Bring the library home to your child.’ POP ON BY for our POP UP day of easy pickup bundles. No sign up needed. Grab bag bundles will be set up on tables.
Please wear a mask and stay a cows length away!
Bags will be marked with type of books inside. Projects will be included:

Board/picture books will have activities appropriate for under Age 3.

Picture books only- above Age 3.

Easy Reader and easier chapter books will be more challenging.

Chapter books and YA selections will be age appropriate.

Julie will be on hand to check you out!
Bring your library card to make it most efficient.

VIRTUAL WORKSHOP: Conversation About Racism
2021-02-10 18:30 - 20:30
CONVERSATION ABOUT RACISM:
Staying Curious, Moving Forward, and Being Part of the Solution

A workshop designed to encourage discussion between black and white people and help us learn to appreciate and understand different experiences and perspectives. The conversation, moderated by Allen Davis, will focus on the experiences of three local black community members: Jeanne Hall, Richard Hall, and Gloria Matlock.

Please email the Tilton Library at tiltonlibrary@cwmars.org a week before the event for the ZOOM link.

This program is co-sponsored by the Deerfield Inclusion Group (DIG). The Sunderland Public Library will host the same event on March 11. Please contact them for details.

TAKE & MAKE KIT: Pinecone Birdfeeder
2021-02-16 10:00 - 2021-02-20 17:00
FREE and For ALL AGES
KIT INCLUDES:
Pine cones, SunButter, Nut-free Birdseed, Yarn, Instructions
CALL 413-665-4683 OR EMAIL tiltonlibrary@cwmars.org TO RESERVE FOR CURBSIDE PICKUP STARTING FEBRUARY 16.
While supplies last.
This program is sponsored by the Friends of Tilton Library.

VIRTUAL THIRD THURSDAY BOOK GROUP: This Is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel
2021-02-18 18:30 - 19:30
When Rosie and Penn and their four boys welcome the newest member of their family, no one is surprised it’s another baby boy. At least their large, loving, chaotic family knows what to expect. But Claude is not like his brothers. One day he puts on a dress and refuses to take it off. He wants to bring a purse to kindergarten. He wants hair long enough to sit on. When he grows up, Claude says, he wants to be a girl. Rosie and Penn aren’t panicked at first. Kids go through phases, after all, and make-believe is fun. But soon the entire family is keeping Claude’s secret. Until one day it explodes.

This Is How It Always Is is a novel about revelations, transformations, fairy tales, and family. And it’s about the ways this is how it always is: Change is always hard and miraculous and hard again; parenting is always a leap into the unknown with crossed fingers and full hearts; children grow but not always according to plan.

Please email the library at tiltonlibrary@cwmars.org to get the Zoom link a few days before the event.

Books available at the Tilton – call or email for a copy to check out on your account.

VIRTUAL TEEN MINDFULNESS COURSE: Be Here Now
2021-02-25 14:45 - 15:30
In these crazy times, everyone could use a little slowing down and breathing.
Teenagers especially are struggling with the world turned upside down.

So much stress and anxiety!

This course is open to any teenager who is willing to give it a try. We encourage you to attend all six weeks, but come as often as you can and see if these skills and strategies help you feel better. Course will include short sitting meditations, walking meditations,
exercises, and information about how to use mindfulness throughout life. There will be time for sharing experiences and
supporting each other. Come with a friend!

To get the Zoom link email saracoblyn@gmail.com.

Zoom link will remain the same throughout the 6-week course.

Offered by Tilton Library and Led by Erika Ross, LMFT and Sara Coblyn, Yoga and Mindfulness Teacher

SPIN A GOOD YARN Community Art & Writing Project
2021-03-01 08:00 - 2021-04-16 17:00
“Spin a Good Yarn” refers to telling a tale.
Please come to the library and share your
stories / wishes / messages / quotes with your community:

1. Open the card holder (need to squeeze it and pry open at the seem like a baggie).
2. Take the white paper card out (please leave the clear card holder attached to the tree).
3. Write your tale / message / wish / quote in pen or marker on one side only. Make sure you write neatly.
4. Place your card (face out) in the empty clear cardholder.
5. Press the cardholder shut (so the rain won’t smudge your writing).
6. Thanks for sharing!
7. Read what others have written!

VIRTUAL THIRD THURSDAY BOOK GROUP: Astrophysics In A Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson
2021-03-18 18:30 - 19:30
Over a year on the New York Times bestseller list and more than a million copies sold.
The essential universe, from our most celebrated and beloved astrophysicist.
What is the nature of space and time? How do we fit within the universe? How does the universe fit within us? There’s no better guide through these mind-expanding questions than acclaimed astrophysicist and best-selling author Neil deGrasse Tyson.
But today, few of us have time to contemplate the cosmos. So Tyson brings the universe down to Earth succinctly and clearly, with sparkling wit, in tasty chapters consumable anytime and anywhere in your busy day.
While you wait for your morning coffee to brew, for the bus, the train, or a plane to arrive, Astrophysics for People in a Hurry will reveal just what you need to be fluent and ready for the next cosmic headlines: from the Big Bang to black holes, from quarks to quantum mechanics, and from the search for planets to the search for life in the universe.

Please email the library at tiltonlibrary@cwmars.org to get the Zoom link a few days before the event.

Libraries in the Woods NEA Big Read Station Eleven Events
2021-04-01 08:00 - 2021-05-31 17:00
NEA Big Read

NEA Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest.
NEA Big Read: Pocumtuck Valley is sponsored by the Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association.
This series is funded in part by the Friends of Tilton Library.

NEA Big Read: Pocumtuck Valley in partnership with Libraries in the Woods sponsors this discussion of Station Eleven as part of a two month long series of discussions and related programs at 20+ local libraries.
APRIL 2021 EVENTS
April 10 Saturday, 11 am
What: Pondering the Pandemic: a Guided Doodling Workshop with Cara Bean
Where: Zoom, Wendell Free Library
♦ Find information and register here.
April 12 Monday, 6 pm
What: Bug-out Bags and Books! Would you be ready to bug-out if you had to? A bug-out bag contains the essentials you’d need, if you had to get out fast. Chelsea Jordan-Makely will talk about things to include in your bug-out bag and discuss four books in which the characters have to make quick getaways and survive on their wits, including Station Eleven. Prizes for “Youth,” “Most Prepared,” and “Most Creative.” Contest closes May 29th.
Where: Zoom, Griswold Memorial Library in Colrain
♦ Find information here. Email griswold@colrain-ma.gov to register.
April 14 Wednesday, 10 am
What: Book Discussion (contact Library to register)
Where: Location TBD, Warwick Free Public Library
♦ Find information and register here.
April 15 Thursday, 6:30pm
What: Book Discussion (virtual anticipated)
Where: Zoom, Tilton Library in South Deerfield
♦ Find information and register here.
♦ Email tiltonlibrary@cwmars.org for Zoom link
April 15 Thursday, 7-8:30 pm
What: Book Discussion
Where: Online, Meekins Library in Williamsburg
♦ Find information and register here.
April 20 Tuesday, 7 pm
What: Book Discussion
Where: Online, Westhampton Library
♦ Find information and register here.
April 22 Thursday, 6:30 pm
What: Theater Education Panel with John Bechtold, Cindy Naughton, Cynthia Strycharz and more
Where: Zoom, Pelham Free Public Library
♦ Find information and register here.
April 22 Thursday, 7 pm
What: Travels with Station Eleven’s Shakespeare, Sally Sutherland, lecturer emeritus at Mt. Holyoke College
Where: Zoom, Jones Library in Amherst
♦ Find information and register here.
April 26 Thursday, 7 pm
What: Book Discussion (virtual anticipated)
Where: Zoom, New Salem Public Library
♦ Find information and register here.
April 27 Tuesday, 1 pm
What: Book Discussion
Where: Online, Edwards Public Library in Southampton
♦ Find information and register here.

APRIL 27 KEYNOTE EVENT! REGISTRATION REQUIRED.

April 27 Tuesday, 7 pm
What: A Conversation with Emily St. John Mandel
Where: Zoom, hosted by New England Public Media, a Watch & Learn Event
♦ TO REGISTER FOR THE EVENT: https://wgbh.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_2TazpTEmQIKgLKgeCf1Upw

In partnership with Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, Libraries in the Woods, The Care Center, Springfield Public Forum, and All Hamotons Read

April 29 Thursday, 8 pm
What: The Suitcase Junket: Found Music—A performance in the spirit of The Traveling Symphony of Station Eleven
Where: Zoom, Tilton Library in South Deerfield
♦ Find information and register here.
♦ Email tiltonlibrary@cwmars.org for Zoom link

MAY 2021 EVENTS
May 2 Sunday, 2 pm
What: Zine and Comic Workshop with Anne Thalheimer
Where: Zoom, Leverett Library (with Ashfield, Greenfield, and Wendell libraries)
♦ Find information and register here.
May 3 Monday, 6:30-7:30 pm
What: Book Discussion
Where: Zoom, Cushman Library in Bernardston
♦ Find information and register here.
May 5 Wednesday, 2 pm
What: Book DiscussionWhere: Zoom, Arms Library in Shelburne Falls, Buckland Public Library, Griswold Memorial in Colrain, Heath Public Library, and Shelburne Public Library
♦ Find information and register here.
May 5 Wednesday, 7:30 pm
What: Book Discussion (virtual anticipated)
Where: Zoom, M.N. Spear Memorial Library, Pelham Library, Leverett Library
♦ Find information and register—link coming soon.
May 6 Thursday, 7 pm
What: Conversation with Local Newspaper Editor Mike Jackson (Montague Reporter) about independent local journalism
Where: Zoom, Dickinson Memorial Library in Northfield
♦ Find information here and register by emailing dmemlib@gmail.com.
May 11 Tuesday, 6:30–7:30 pm
What: Coping with Trauma and Loss: How Therapy Can Help
Presentation and discussion with Susannah Sheffer, LMHC.
Where: Zoom, Sunderland Public Library
♦ Find information and register here.
May 15 Saturday, 10 pm–12 noon
What: Fire by Friction, presented by Wolf Tree
Where: Wendell Free Library (in person, 24 person limit)
♦ Find information and register here.
May 18 Tuesday, 6:30 pm
What: Book Discussion
Where: Zoom, Belding Memorial Library in Ashfield, Field Memorial Library in Conway, and S. White Dickinson Memorial Library in Whately
♦ Find information and register here–link coming soon.
May 19 Wednesday, 7:00pm
What: Two Plays, Two Actors – with Nick deRuiter and Jerri Higgins. Plays to be announced.
Where: Zoom, Cushman Library in Bernardston
♦ Find information and register here.
May 20 Thursday, 7 pm
What: Ask an Airline Attendant
Where: Zoom, Dickinson Memorial Library in Northfield
♦ Find information here and register by emailing dmemlib@gmail.com.
May 22 Saturday, 10 am
What: Walk and Talk Book Discussion
Where: Wendell Free Library
♦ Find information here.
May 23 Sunday, 2 pm
What: Historical Walking Tour of Turners Falls’ Post Industrial Ruins
Where: Montague Public Libraries, Turners Falls Canal District
♦ Find information here.
May 24 Monday, May 24, 6:30 pm
What: Station Eleven: The Collapse of Systems and the Reemergence of Neighborliness — a book discussion featuring David B. Schwartz, Ph.D.
Where: Zoom, Sunderland Public Library
♦ Find information and register here.
May 25 Tuesday, 6 pmWhat: Book Discussion
Where: Zoom, Erving Public Library and Dickinson Memorial Library in Northfield
♦ Register by emailing library@erving-ma.gov.
May 25 Tuesday, 6:30 pm
What: “Survival is Insufficient,” a discussion of this phrase’s meaning in Station Eleven and the Star Trek Voyager episode from which it was drawn.
Where: Zoom, Field Memorial Library in Conway, Belding Memorial Library in Ashfield, Arms Library in Shelburne Falls
♦ Find information and register here.
May 29 Contest endsWhat: Build a “bug-out bag” contest. Prizes for “Most Prepared,” and “Most Creative”
Where: Virtual, Griswold Memorial Library in Colrain
♦ Find information and register here.
Developing Programs
Information and registration links coming soon. Meanwhile, reach out to the hosting organization for information.
Date, Day & Time TBD
What: Book Discussion
Where: Zoom, Wendell Free Library
Date, Day & Time TBD
What: Survival (DIY Kit) Workshop
Where: Zoom, Erving Public Library
Date, Day & Time TBDWhat: Historical Walk of Erving “Ruins”
Where: Erving Public Library, outdoors location TBD
Date, Day & Time TBD
What: Historical Walk of Turners Falls’ Post Industrial Ruins
Where: Montague Public Libraries, Turners Falls Canal District
Date, Day & Time TBD
Name of Event: Book Discussion (virtual anticipated)
Library & Location: Arms Library, Buckland Public Library and Shelburne Free Public Library
Date, Day & Time TBD
What: Book Discussion (virtual anticipated)
Where: Leverett Library
Date, Day & Time TBD
What: “Survival is Insufficient” Poetry After the Rains
Collaborative Public Art Stenciling and Invisible Messages, Until It Rains!
Where: Arms Library and Shelburne Falls downtown, with the Art Garden
Date, Day & Time TBD
What: Citizen Journalism Workshop
Where: Belding Memorial Library in Ashfield
Date, Day & Time TBD
What: Book Discussion featuring David B. Schwartz
Where: Zoom, Sunderland Public Library
Date, Day & Time TBD (May, evening program)
What: Memory Making Journaling
Where: S. White Dickinson Memorial Library in Whately
Date, Day & Time TBD
What: Book Discussion
Where: Zoom, Orange Library
Date, Day & Time TBD
What: Trivia Night: what is this and what is it for?
Where: Zoom, Orange Library
Date, Day & Time TBD
What: Book Discussion
Where: Zoom, Field Memorial Library in Conway
Date, Day & Time TBD
What: Allen Steele PowerPoint presentation on the history of Science Fiction
Library & Location: S. White Dickinson Memorial Library in Whately

NEA Big Read Station Eleven Book Discussion
2021-04-15 18:30 - 20:00
NEA Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest.

NEA Big Read: Pocumtuck Valley is sponsored by the Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association.

This series is funded in part by the Friends of Tilton Library.

NEA Big Read: Pocumtuck Valley in partnership with Libraries in the Woods sponsors this discussion of Station Eleven as part of a two month long series of discussions and related programs at 20+ local libraries. Click here for a full listing: https://deerfield-ma.org/nea-big-read-pocumtuck-valley/

EMAIL TILTONLIBRARY@CWMARS.ORG FOR ZOOM LINK TO THIS BOOK DISCUSSION.

Emily St. John Mandel’s 2014 novel is set in a dystopian post-pandemic world. Now that we’re experiencing an actual pandemic, the NEA Big Read of this fictional story provides an opportunity for local communities to discuss our real pandemic experience, as well as the role the arts play in our lives (a central theme in Station Eleven).

A National Book Award Finalist
A PEN/Faulkner Award Finalist
Kirsten Raymonde will never forget the night Arthur Leander, the famous Hollywood actor, had a heart attack on stage during a production of King Lear. That was the night when a devastating flu pandemic arrived in the city, and within weeks, civilization as we know it came to an end.
Twenty years later, Kirsten moves between the settlements of the altered world with a small troupe of actors and musicians. They call themselves The Traveling Symphony, and they have dedicated themselves to keeping the remnants of art and humanity alive. But when they arrive in St. Deborah by the Water, they encounter a violent prophet who will threaten the tiny band’s existence. And as the story takes off, moving back and forth in time, and vividly depicting life before and after the pandemic, the strange twist of fate that connects them all will be revealed.

BIG READ AUTHOR TALK: Emily St. John Mandel, Station Eleven
2021-04-27 19:00 - 20:00
NEA Big Read: Pocumtuck Valley in partnership with Libraries in the Woods sponsors this talk with the author of Station Eleven as part of a two month long series of book discussions and related programs at 20+ local libraries. For a complete listing of Libraries in the Woods events in this series visit: https://www.tiltonlibrary.org/nea-big-read/
NEA BIG READ KEYNOTE EVENT! REGISTRATION REQUIRED.

April 27 Tuesday, 7 pm What: A Conversation with Emily St. John Mandel Where: Zoom, hosted by New England Public Media, a Watch & Learn Event ♦ TO REGISTER FOR THE EVENT: https://wgbh.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_2TazpTEmQIKgLKgeCf1Upw

NEA Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest.
NEA Big Read: Pocumtuck Valley is sponsored by the Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association.
This series is funded in part by the Friends of Tilton Library.

Suitcase Junket: Found Music, a set in the spirit of Station Eleven
2021-04-29 20:00 - 21:00
NEA Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest.

NEA Big Read: Pocumtuck Valley is sponsored by the Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association.

This series is funded in part by the Friends of Tilton Library.

NEA Big Read: Pocumtuck Valley in partnership with Libraries in the Woods sponsors this discussion of Station Eleven as part of a two month long series of discussions and related programs at 20+ local libraries. Click here for a full listing: https://deerfield-ma.org/nea-big-read-pocumtuck-valley/

EMAIL TILTONLIBRARY@CWMARS.ORG FOR ZOOM LINK TO THIS EVENT.

SUITCASE JUNKET: FOUND MUSIC: A set in the spirit of The Traveling Symphony of Station Eleven
Join us for this special video performance as part of a 2021 series of events built around the reading of Station Eleven. Featuring all original music in local atmospheric settings, The Suitcase Junket’s “doom folk” music is grand in its imagery, sound, and staging; yet solitary in its thrift and self-reliance. What instruments are required, are built from scratch and salvage. Ask Suitcase questions about his music and homemade instruments on live chat.

Stop by the Steps with Julie
2021-05-11 14:45 - 15:15
Join Children’s Librarian Julie on Tuesdays (when school is in session) on the steps of Tilton after school on Tuesdays at 2:45.
Snacks will be prepackaged with an ingredient list available, as well as takeawy activities. While supplies last.

Julie will also have some small book bundles of comics to send home.

If you are a more infrequent patron and you’d like your child to take some books , please email Julie your name and info, at
jcavacco@cwmars.org

Third Thursday Book Discussion: The Locals by Jonathan Dee
2021-05-20 18:30 - 20:00
Meets on Zoom – email tiltonlibrary@cwmars.org for Zoom link. IF WEATHER IS NICE – we may meet outside behind the library – call 413-665-4683 or email to find out that day

“Summons up a small American town at precisely the right moment in our history . . . a bold, vital, and view-expanding novel.”—George Saunders
A rural working-class New England town elects as its mayor a New York hedge fund millionaire in this inspired novel for our times—fiction in the tradition of Jonathan Franzen and Jennifer Egan.
A WASHINGTON POST NOTABLE BOOK
Mark Firth is a contractor and home restorer in Howland, Massachusetts, who feels opportunity passing his family by. After being swindled by a financial advisor, what future can Mark promise his wife, Karen, and their young daughter, Haley? He finds himself envying the wealthy weekenders in his community whose houses sit empty all winter.
Philip Hadi used to be one of these people. But in the nervous days after 9/11 he flees New York and hires Mark to turn his Howland home into a year-round “secure location” from which he can manage billions of dollars of other people’s money. The collision of these two men’s very different worlds—rural vs. urban, middle class vs. wealthy—is the engine of Jonathan Dee’s powerful new novel.
Inspired by Hadi, Mark looks around for a surefire investment: the mid-decade housing boom. Over Karen’s objections, and teaming up with his troubled brother, Gerry, Mark starts buying up local property with cheap debt. Then the town’s first selectman dies suddenly, and Hadi volunteers for office. He soon begins subtly transforming Howland in his image—with unexpected results for Mark and his extended family.
Here are the dramas of twenty-first-century America—rising inequality, working class decline, a new authoritarianism—played out in the classic setting of some of our greatest novels: the small town. The Locals is that rare work of fiction capable of capturing a fraught American moment in real time.
