Tuesday, April 21, 2009

One Book, One Region 2009: Eastern Connecticut

The One Book, One Region Eastern Connecticut selection for 2009 is David Benioff's City of Thieves.


The author will be kicking off the event on April 30th, at 7pm at the Mystic Art Center. Map here.

Below is a review from Booklist:

Booklist Review: In 1941, the Germans circled Leningrad, starving its remaining citizens. His mother and sister evacuated, 17-year-old Lev Beniov remained, heeding the call for every able-bodied man to come to the defense of his country. After being caught out after curfew, Lev is thrown in the Crosses, the notorious prison, and while waiting for what he assumes will be an inglorious end, a summary execution at dawn, he is joined by the gregarious, indefatigable, and literature-spouting soldier, Kolya, imprisoned for desertion. When their lives are spared, they are assigned the impossible task of acquiring a dozen eggs for the wedding of a colonel's daughter, a task that takes them into the company of cannibals and Einsatzgruppen, dreaded Nazi death squads. A high-spirited adventure, Benioff's second novel (following the 2001 debut, The 25th Hour), ostensibly an account of the author's grandfather—a quiet immigrant who sold his real-estate business and retired to Florida with his wife—takes more than a little poetic license. When Benioff tells his grandfather that a few things don't make sense in the narrative, his reply: "You're a writer. Make it up." -- Segedin, Ben (Reviewed 04-15-2008) (Booklist, vol 104, number 16, p31)



It is the hope of the One Book, One Region Committee that everyone in the region can read the book and hopefully join us for the book discussions and programs that will be held by local libraries and schools.

Check out the One Book, One Region website for more information.

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