Life on the Shelf_20070910

We had a very respectable turnout for our first-ever, themed book discussion, co-sponsored by the NH Humanities Council! Including the facilitator, we had 15 participants, 2 of whom traveled all the way from the New London/Sunapee area, and yet another from Bedford. In fact, interest generated from the selected title extended even to others who read the book, but did not actually participate in the evening’s discussion. And this was more than we could have hoped for. The book under discussion was "Amoskeag: Life and Work in an American Factory-City." It was a very novel treatment of a foundational era in Manchester’s history, blending both oral and non-oral accounts into a rich tapestry of history. In addition to being treated to the fascinating insights of the discussion facilitator, Prof. Don Sieker, we were also treated to the first-hand testimony of one of the discussion participants whose father was employed at the Amoskeag mills as a loom machinist before they closed in the mid 30s. Our hope is that next month’s read, The Kinship, by Ernest Hebert, will generate similar interest. Visit our website to learn more about the discussion series and how you can participate.