Click for Info
Click for Info
Click for Info
Click for Info
Click for Schedule
West Branch's monthly book discussion. April 2021: The Dry Grass of August by Anna Jean Mayhew. Register on Zoom to receive the meeting ID and passcode!
Join us for West Branch's monthly virtual book discussion group. We read a variety of contemporary fiction and non-fiction and meet once a month on Zoom for a thoughtful discussion. Register to receive the Zoom meeting information. Limited print copies of the selected title will be available at the West Branch for Browse & Go pickup. Contact discussion facilitator Scott Grotto at sgrotto@aurorapubliclibrary.org or Dani Linn at dtlinn@aurorapubliclibrary.org for more information.
Book description:
In this beautifully written debut, Anna Jean Mayhew offers a riveting depiction of Southern life in the throes of segregation and what it will mean for a young girl on her way to adulthood-and for the woman who means the world to her. On a scorching day in August 1954, thirteen-year-old Jubie Watts leaves Charlotte, North Carolina, with her family for a Florida vacation.
Crammed into the Packard along with Jubie are her three siblings, her mother, and the family's black maid, Mary Luther. For as long as Jubie can remember, Mary has been there-cooking, cleaning, compensating for her father's rages and her mother's benign neglect, and loving Jubie unconditionally. Bright and curious, Jubie takes note of the anti-integration signs they pass and of the racial tension that builds as they journey further south. But she could never have predicted the shocking turn their trip will take.
Now, in the wake of tragedy, Jubie must confront her parents' failings and limitations, decide where her own convictions lie, and make the tumultuous leap to independence. Infused with the intensity of a changing time, here is a story of hope, heartbreak, and the love and courage that can transform us from child to adult, wounded to indomitable.
This branch is connected to Washington Middle School and known for its creative displays and programs for adults. Complete with three study rooms and two conference rooms.