We are pleased to welcome author Denise Kiernan to the bookshop to discuss her book, We Gather Together, on Tuesday, October 26th, at 7PM! She will be in conversation with Erin Templeton from Converse College. The book’s message of gratitude—especially when embraced during the hardest of times—makes it one to read and share, over and over, at any time of year, but it seems especially appropriate to discuss approaching the holiday season.

*Seating at the bookshop is limited due to social distancing measures; register to save your seat! Please note that masks are required for all in-person events.

We Gather Together

by Denise Kiernan

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From the New York Times bestselling author of The Last Castle and The Girls of Atomic City comes a new way to look at American history through the story of giving thanks.

From Ancient Rome through 21st-century America, bestselling author Denise Kiernan brings us a biography of an idea: gratitude, as a compelling human instinct and a global concept, more than just a mere holiday. Spanning centuries, We Gather Together is anchored amid the strife of the Civil War, and driven by the fascinating story of Sarah Josepha Hale, a widowed mother with no formal schooling who became one of the 19th century’s most influential tastemakers and who campaigned for decades to make real an annual day of thanks.

Populated by an enthralling supporting cast of characters including Frederick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln, Sojourner Truth, Walt Whitman, Norman Rockwell, and others, We Gather Together is ultimately a story of tenacity and dedication, an inspiring tale of how imperfect people in challenging times can create powerful legacies