Greene County Reads, the annual county-wide book discussion, will be held Thursday, September 17. This year’s selection is Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. Due to Covid-19, readers will be able to choose to participate in this year’s discussions either in-person or virtually.
Little Women is one of the best loved books of all time. The March sisters – lovely Meg, talented Jo, frail Beth, and spoiled Amy experience the hard lessons of poverty while growing up in New England during the Civil War.
Through their dreams, plays, pranks, letters, illnesses, and courtships, women of all ages have become a part of this remarkable family and have felt the deep sadness when Meg leaves the circle of sisters to be married. This fiction classic chronicles Meg’s joys and mishaps as a young wife and mother, Jo’s struggle to become a writer, Beth’s tragedy, and Amy’s artistic pursuits and unexpected romance. Based on Louisa May Alcott’s childhood, this lively portrait of 19th-century family life possesses a lasting vitality that has endeared it to generations of readers.
American novelist and poet Louisa May Alcott was born in 1832 and raised in New England, where she grew up among many of the well-known intellectuals of the day, such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Henry David Thoreau, and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. The Alcott family had financial difficulties, and while Louisa worked to help support the family from an early age, she also sought an outlet in writing. She began to receive critical success for her writing in the 1860s and is best known as the author of the novel Little Women (1868) and its sequels Little Men and Jo’s Boys.
Three libraries in Greene County will host the discussions. All three discussions will be led by Jan Scharingson, retired East Greene high school English teacher. “It is always fun to reread a book, and I am looking forward to seeing what our participants think of Little Women now that they are reading it as an adult. Will we still like one character more than another and will our reasons be similar to what we held years ago? Are women today much like they were in the 1860’s? Is the family unit as strong today as it was then? Are we all a composite of the four March sisters? I am looking forward to a fun discussion.” said Scharingson.
Greene County Reads is an annual event sponsored by the Greene County Librarians Association. This is the 14th year for this county-wide book discussion, usually held in the spring, but delayed by the pandemic this year. “Since we have not read and discussed a classic, Jan recommended Little Women, which recently celebrated its 150th anniversary,” said Wendy Johnson, president of GCLA and director of the Marchant Memorial Library in Scranton.
Many books have been written about Little Women and its author, and there are several movie versions. “This year we are adding a new component to the discussions,” said Jefferson library director Jane Millard. In addition to reading Little Women, everyone is encouraged to read a companion book such as a biography of the author or another book in the Little Women series. Each library has a list of these books, or you may choose to watch one of the movie versions. “We will also be giving away a copy of Little Women at each of the discussions,” added Millard.
Anyone who would like to participate is encouraged to check out a copy of the book from any of the six public libraries in Greene County. Little Women is also available from the Bridges eLibrary. Register to attend one of the book discussions on Thursday, September 17 at the place and time that is most convenient. Discussions will be held at the William Paton Public Library at 9 am and the Grand Junction public library at 2 pm. The Jefferson public library will host the evening session at 7 pm at the Jefferson Community Golf Course clubhouse. In-person seating will be limited to meet health guidelines for social distancing; contact your library for the link to the virtual Zoom discussions.
The annual county-wide book discussions are free and open to the public. Greene County Reads is made possible by funding support from the Greene County board of supervisors. Light refreshments will be served. For more information or to register for one of the discussions, call your local public library.
