Monroe Reads
Together is pleased to announce the title of the book chosen for Monroe’s first
community read project, “Dinner with the Smileys: One Military Family, One Year
of Heroes, and Lessons for a Lifetime” by Sarah Smiley. Monroe Reads Together, a partnership between
the Monroe Public Schools, the Edith Wheeler Memorial Library and local
business and community members wishes to engage all of Monroe in the benefits
and enjoyment of reading and to involve the community in a conversation about
books and the issues they present.
This year’s
book is a true story about a mother’s yearlong experience of inviting one guest
to dinner for each week while her husband is deployed with the Army
overseas. She and her three young boys host
52 different dinner guests whose stories intertwine with their own. It is a moving story that touches on the
universal life experiences of loss, grief, loneliness, sacrifice and ultimately,
unexpected joy and finding one’s own strength.
The entire Smiley family will be coming to Monroe to discuss the book
and share their stories. The visit will
take place in November and will include author conversations in the schools and
at the Edith Wheeler Memorial Library.
In addition, the Smileys will talk about sacrifice and service as part
of the Veteran’s Day activities at Masuk High School. Ultimately, their visit
will culminate with an author presentation and discussion on the evening of
November 13th.
This
inaugural project is made possible by a grant from the Connecticut Humanities and
donations from the Friends of the Edith Wheeler Memorial Library, Monroe
Schools PTOs, the Monroe Lions Club and Linda’s Story Time. The Connecticut
Humanities is a non-profit affiliate of the National Endowment for the
Humanities that funds, creates and collaborates on hundreds of cultural
programs across Connecticut each year. Check the Edith Wheeler Memorial Library
web site www.ewml.org and the Monroe School’s site www. monroeps.org
for further information and updates.
