If you are suffering from frigid, snowy weather-induced cabin fever, a trip to a nearby museum may be the cure. Canyon's Panhandle Plains Historical Museum has opened a special exhibit highlighting the prisoner of war camp located south of Hereford during World War II. "Paradox in a P.O.W. Camp: The Souvenirs of Unlikely Friendship" opened in the museum's Alexander Gallery on Jan. 15.
The collection of items displayed is from Ann Cockrell Osburn, who worked at the camp which housed 5,000 Italian POWs captured in Northern Africa during WWII. The exhibit, which contains various forms of art, photographs, and hand-written letters by POWs learning English, will continue through April 23.
If you would prefer travelling to distant lands from the comfort of your home, however, check out new releases here at Rhoads Memorial Library that can transport you via reading:
-"Beasts of a Little Land" (a novel) by Juhea Kim. Touted as "an epic story of love, war, and redemption set against the backdrop of the Korean independence movement, this story follows the intertwined fates of a young girl sold to a courtesan school and the penniless son of a hunter." From the perfumed chambers of a courtesan school in Pyongyang to the glamorous cafes of a modernizing Seoul and the boreal forests of Manchuria, this tale begins in 1917 and spans half a century. It unveils a world "where friends become enemies, enemies become saviors, heroes are persecuted, and beasts take many shapes."
-"Honor" (a novel) by Thrity Umrigar. Indian American Smita is a journalist who travels back to India to cover a story about Meena, a Hindu woman attacked by members of her own village and family for marrying a Muslim man. Smita is drawn to an Indian man, Mohan, and realizes she has the freedom to enter into a casual affair while Meena's fate hangs in the balance. Both women face a society where tradition carries more weight than one's own heart and both try to navigate how to be true to their homelands and themselves at the same time.
Closer to home, remember that our meeting room will be the site of the Wednesday, Feb, 9, Dimmitt Book Club meeting. Local author Randell Whaley will be featured as the meeting begins at 2 p.m.
Our annual book sale, which was held last week, may be history but your chance to look through the books, movies, and audio books continues. While we return the items to our storage area, we keep them in order and prospective buyers may peruse them year-round.
Periodically we receive pamphlets and brochures on different subjects from various government offices. The latest items that have arrived are courtesy of the United States Department of Labor and can be found on the table by our front door. Anyone wishing to pick up a copy may do so, free of charge.
Until next week, Happy Reading!