Reading Series continues for 21st year at Hamline Midway Library

The Fireside Reading Series continues its 21st year at the Hamline Midway Library, 1558 W. Minnehaha Ave. Warm up the winter nights as some of Minnesota’s best writers share their works during fireside readings presented by The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library. The free programs begin at 7pm, are accompanied by coffee, cider, cookies and book signings, and are free and open to the public.

On Feb. 18, author Allen Eskens provides some literary chills when he reads from his twisting and evocative mystery “The Life We Bury,” called a “masterful debut” in a starred review by Publisher’s Weekly. When college-student Joe Talbert’s writing assignment introduces him to a convicted murderer, he has no idea that it will send him tumbling into the heart of a thirty-year-old mystery that will threaten to end his life. In addition to his writing life, Eskens is a criminal defense attorney with over 20 years of experience. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in journalism from the University of Minnesota, and a Juris Doctorate from Hamline University School of Law. “The Life We Bury” is his first book.

On Feb. 25, Linda LeGarde Grover closes the series by sharing her powerful debut novel of love, hardship, and family bonds: “The Road Back to Sweetgrass.” The book follows a trio of American Indian women, from the 1970s to the present, observing the ways their lives intersect on the fictional Mozhay Point reservation. Grover connects the sense of place with the experience of Native women who came of age during the days of the federal termination policy and the struggle for tribal self-determination.

The Fireside Series is presented annually by The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library, a non-profit organization that supports the work and programs of the Saint Paul Public Library, and co-sponsored by Common Good Books. For more information, contact The Friends at 651-222-3242 or visit www.thefriends.org.