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Romeo District Library, with Friends of the Romeo District Library are pleased to announce its first community read program, Romeo Reads. We invite everyone in our community to participate in our NEW multi-feature program including a shared read and discussion of a selected book, as well as professional presentations on topics weaved throughout. The Romeo Reads 2021 chosen book is one of the 2020 Michigan Notable Books: “We Hope For Better Things” by Erin Bartels. Description: When journalist Elizabeth Balsam is asked to deliver a box of old photos to a relative she didn’t know she had, the strange request seems like it isn’t worth her time. But as she explores her great-aunt’s farmhouse with its locked doors and hidden graves, she soon discovers just how dramatically some of the most newsworthy events of the previous two centuries shaped her own family. As she searches for answers to the riddles around her, the remarkable stories of two women who lived in this very house emerge as testaments to love, resilience, and courage in the face of war, racism, and misunderstanding.
To purchase a signed copy of Bartels’ book for $12, contact the circulation desk at either branch to schedule a curbside pickup or delivery. Please specify if you are purchasing a copy. When you pick up your book, provide payment in an envelope in exact change or by check to the order of Friends of the Romeo District Library. Alternatively, you can place a hold for a book, ebook or e-audiobook through our catalog or Hoopla. There are several copies available in our Co-op. Enjoy your read!
Please note: Zoom codes and instructions will be provided to program registrants prior to event dates so please include your email address in your registration information.
Register for Events
Romeo Reads: Detroit ’67: Looking Back to Move Forward
Thursday 2/11/2021 7:00pm
Joel Stone, curator at the Detroit Historical Society presentation about the Detroit Rebellion of 1967 and the 12th Street Riot. The events that took place in the summer of 1967 had a significant impact on the people of Detroit and southeast Michigan. This presentation looks at the events of 1967 in their historical context and discusses how an extensive community engagement project was developed to address this important anniversary, and includes an award-winning exhibition and publication, successful oral history project, and over 180 partner programs.
This will be a Zoom presentation. Please note: Zoom codes and instructions will be provided to program registrants prior to event dates so please include your email address in your registration information.
Romeo Reads: Zoom Book Discussion
Thursday 2/18/2021 2:00 pm
Join us in discussing the Romeo Reads 2021 chosen book, “We Hope for Better Things” by Erin Bartels.
This will be a Zoom presentation. Please note: Zoom codes and instructions will be provided to program registrants prior to event dates so please include your email address in your registration information.
Romeo Reads: Zoom Book Discussion
Tuesday 2/23/2021 7:00 pm
Join us in discussing the Romeo Reads 2021 chosen book, “We Hope for Better Things” by Erin Bartels.
This will be a Zoom presentation. Please note: Zoom codes and instructions will be provided to program registrants prior to event dates so please include your email address in your registration information.
Romeo Reads: Building Family History From Stories and Legends
Tuesday 3/9/2021 7:00 pm
De Witt S. Dykes, Associate Professor of History, Oakland University will be speaking about family stories and legends handed down over several generations undergo variations in the telling. It is the responsibility of current generations to evaluate inherited stories, discard errors, use original primary sources to verify the truth and extend the family story as much as possible. The use of online databases will be analyzed in connection with print and other sources. Genealogy forms and a list of books and databases will be available.
This will be a Zoom presentation. Please note: Zoom codes and instructions will be provided to program registrants prior to event dates so please include your email address in your registration information.
Romeo Reads: Virtual Author Visit with Erin Bartels
Thursday 3/25/2021 7:00 pm
Join us for a discussion with Romeo Reads 2021, “We Hope for Better Things” author Erin Bartels.
Erin Bartels is the award-winning author of We Hope for Better Things (2020 Michigan Notable Book, 2020 WFWA Star Award–winner, 2019 Christy Award finalist), The Words between Us (2020 Christy Award finalist, 2015 WFWA Rising Star Award finalist), and All That We Carried (coming January 2021). She is a member of the Capital City Writers and the Women’s Fiction Writers Association. When she’s not writing, she can be found wandering through the woods with her camera, painting in both watercolor and oil, or reading with a semi-spastic Chihuahua mix on her lap. Erin lives in Lansing, Michigan, with her husband, Zachary, and their son, Calvin. Find her on Facebook @ErinBartelsAuthor, on Twitter @ErinLBartels, or on Instagram @erinbartelswrites.
This will be a Zoom presentation. Please note: Zoom codes and instructions will be provided to program registrants prior to event dates so please include your email address in your registration information.