Press Releases

Kickoff Press release 5/1/05

The many faces of Afghanistan will be explored in this year’s Midcoast Community Read selection, “The Kite Runner.” Libraries in Brunswick , Bath , Topsham and Wiscasset will kick off the fourth annual event Jan. 11 at 10:30 a.m. , when copies of the book by Khaled Hosseini will be readily available.

The coming-of-age novel examines the violent repercussions of ethnic and class tensions, civil war and invasion and religious zealotry through the eyes of the boy, Amir. Raised in relative luxury in 1960s’ Kabul , Amir’s struggle with questions of betrayal, loyalty and redemption span the years of the mujahedeen insurgency, civil war, and the rise and fall of the Taliban.

Sponsored principally by Friends’ groups at the four libraries, the Community Read is also supported by funding from the Alfred M. Senter Fund, Bath Savings Institution and First Federal Savings.

The Totten Library in Phippsburg and town offices in Georgetown , West Bath and Woolwich will also be stocked with books, and local bookstores are offering discounts.

A complete schedule of events will be published later this month. For more information on the Community Read, log on to www.midcoastreads.com.

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Press release 11/18/04

Raised in relative luxury in 1960s’ Kabul, Amir struggles to find his place in a rigidly patriarchal and class-conscious society. A traditional Kite Running Festival provides a pivotal moment in Amir’s complicated relationship with his servant and friend Hassan. A betrayal sets in motion a heart-rending rift between the boys, as Afghanistan itself descends into chaos and war. Although Amir and his father flee Afghanistan during the Soviet occupation, his struggles with questions of heritage, loyalty, friendship and redemption span the years of the mujahedeen insurgency, civil war, and rise and fall of the Taliban.

The 2005 Community Read is the fourth sponsored by Friends groups at four Midcoast libraries: Curtis Memorial Library of Brunswick, Patten Free Library of Bath, Topsham Public Library and Wiscasset Public Library. The first three Community Reads -- To Kill a Mockingbird, 1984, and Endurance -- successfully drew the Midcoast community together, sparking lively discussion and debate. The Kite Runner promises a glimpse into an ancient land now inextricably bound up in the history of the United States.

Kick-off events Jan. 11 at each library will launch The Kite Runner’s two-month reading period, followed in March by discussion groups and related activities. A companion book for middle schoolers, Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis, examines the life of a girl in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan. Recommended for young children is the picture book The Roses in My Carpet by Rukhsana Khan.

Participating libraries will begin stocking up on the book soon, and area bookstores will offer discounts. For more information about the Community Read, visit your local library or log on to the Community Read website.

Prepared by Liz Owens