Here we are at Thanksgiving, enjoying the bountiful gifts (family, friends, and food) while pausing to give thanks for all of it. Although Rhoads Memorial Library is closed until Tuesday, Nov. 29, so that we may partake in the holiday's festivities, we will be glad to see you when we reopen that day at 9 a.m.
As I had mentioned in a previous 'Library Lines' column, we are thankful for donations of books from kind souls, adding them to our collection (books, not souls!) Such literary works that are new to us, representing a varied array of genres and ready for checkout, include: -'A Fall of Marigolds, a novel by Susan Meissner, is a 2014 release that begins in September 1911. Clara Wood, a nurse on Ellis Island in New York Harbor, is in mourning after the man she loved fell to his death in the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire. But while caring for a fevered immigrant, Clara notices a name embroidered on the scarf he carries and what she learns could devastate or free her.
Fast forward to September 2011: widow Taryn Michaels believes she is living fully on Manhattan's Upper West Side, working in a specialty fabric store. However, seeing a longlost photograph in a national magazine force her to relive the horrible day when her husband died in the collapse of the World Trade Towers. A chance reconnection and a 100-yearold scarf will alert her to larger forces at work in her life.
-'Mankiller: A Chief and Her People' is an autobiography written by the former Chief of the Cherokee Nation, Wilma Mankiller, and co-authored by Michael Wallis. Mankiller tells of her own history while honoring and recounting the history of the Cherokees.
-'Taylor Mill Horror: A True Story' is a 2021 release by Austin Lawrence, focuses on a property in Taylor Mill, Kentucky that is rife with paranormal activity. A family living in the home, with the help of a priest and two paranormal investigators, discover the house is infested with a demonic presence. The book's blurb notes that the story 'will immerse readers in a story they will never forget, made even more chilling for its status as non-fiction.'
-'False Witness' by Karin Slaughter is a thriller released in 2021 that, according to critics, includes 'deception, sabotage, violence, family secrets...all the stuff you could want from a fictional pageturner.' Leigh Collier is an upand- coming defense attorney in an Atlanta law firm who is tasked with defending a wealthy man accused of multiple counts of rape.
Wary of the case, she meets him face to face and realizes she knows him, and he knows her. In fact, he may know about the brutal act of violence that happened over 20 years ago that Leigh has tried to get past. It's one of those 'he saw what you did: he knows who you are' situations...
In local news, Sue (Hawkins) Duckett, an Amarillo author, was guest speaker at the recent Dimmitt Book Club meeting. She focused on her first book, 'Patchwork: Short Stories with Quilts.' A retired social worker and teacher, Duckett provided a synopsis of each story and presented thought-provoking questions about each one.
The next meeting of the Club will be Wednesday, Dec. 14, with 'Christmas Fun' to be offered by members Mary Ruth Baird and Zetha Collins. (There is a rumor that Santa might be part of the festivities that begin in our meeting room at 2 p.m.)
Next Thursday, Dec. 1, is the date set for the monthly meeting of the Diabetes Support Group. They will convene in our meeting room from 5:30 p.m. until 6: 30 p.m. and will be led by Courtney Lowe, Health Agent with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service.
We will close with Mark Twain's observation of a reason to be thankful: 'Heaven goes by favor. If it went by merit, you would stay out and your dog would go in.'
Happy Thanksgiving!