One Town, One Book to focus on Afghanistan
Warwick Warwick's three public libraries will offer their 4th annual town-wide reading program this fall. The One Town, One Book program sponsored by Albert Wisner Public Library, Greenwood Lake Public Library, and Florida Public Library will focus on "The Kite Runner," a best-selling first novel by Khaled Hosseini, an Afghani-American physician. The Kite Runner is set in Afghanistan and San Francisco and spans the quiet years before the Soviet invasion through the Taliban era when the lead character returns to his homeland in an attempt to save the son of his boyhood friend. The story features strong and vivid depictions of a country and its people in turmoil and explores the universal themes of love, betrayal and redemption as they exist in family relationships and stretch across decades and countries. "We invite all Warwick residents to join us in reading and discussing The Kite Runner," said Florida Director Madelyn Folino. "One Town, One Book has been a successful project for us and we are again expecting participation from all areas of Warwick. This year's selection has already received rave reviews from many local readers. Talking about this novel and sharing ideas will be especially interesting given the dramatic setting. It really puts a human face on so many news stories of the last few years." The kick-off for the program will be at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 30, at the Hickory Hill Golf Course Clubhouse on Route 17A, Warwick. Christine Godwin, Professor of English and Department Chair at Orange County Community College, will introduce One Town, One Book and "The Kite Runner" over coffee and dessert. The program is free, but registration is required. Call Wisner Library at 986-1047 to sign up. Each library will also host various events related to the book. These include a film screening of the Cannes Film Festival winner "Kandahar" in Greenwood Lake at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 6 (call 477-8377 to register) and "Tales of the Silk Road" presented by Florida's Black Dirt Storytelling Guild at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 13 (call 651-7659 to register). Warwick will offer a Family Kite Workshop at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 15, for children in grades K-5 and a parent, with kite-flying scheduled for 2 p.m. at Veterans Memorial Park. The Greenwood Lake library will host a book discussion of "The Kite Runner" at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 22. Call 986-1047 to register for either program. Florida Public Library will sponsor a program called "Understanding Afghanistan" at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 27. Pine Island resident Anne Ruszkiewicz, who teaches at Sullivan County Community College, will present an overview of the history, geography, and tribal and religious conflicts that rule the world of "The Kite Runner," with suggestions for further reading. Call 651-7659 to register. One Town, One Book will conclude at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 6, in Greenwood Lake Public Library's program room, with food, music and culture of Afghanistan, and a talk by Catherine Stine, author of "Refugees," a first novel about the friendship between an Afghani boy and an American girl who explore each other's cultures. Call 477-8377 to register.