Meetup @ the Library

Please register through the library's website: https://berlinpeck.org/events/author-javier-zamora/

Tune in for a special conversation with New York Times bestselling author Javier Zamora as he chats with us about his riveting tale of survival and perseverance as told in his award-winning memoir Solito.
Zamora’s adventure is a three-thousand-mile journey from his small town in El Salvador, through Guatemala and Mexico, and across the U.S. border. He will leave behind his beloved aunt and grandparents to reunite with a mother who left four years ago and a father he barely remembers. Traveling alone amid a group of strangers and a “coyote” hired to lead them to safety, Javier expects his trip to last two short weeks.
At nine years old, all Javier can imagine is rushing into his parents’ arms, snuggling in bed between them, and living under the same roof again. He cannot foresee the perilous boat trips, relentless desert treks, pointed guns, arrests and deceptions that await him; nor can he know that those two weeks will expand into two life-altering months alongside fellow migrants who will come to encircle him like an unexpected family.
Solito provides an immediate and intimate account not only of a treacherous and near-impossible journey, but also of the miraculous kindness and love delivered at the most unexpected moments. Solito is Javier Zamora’s story, but it’s also the story of millions of others who had no choice but to leave home. Register today to learn more about this gripping and moving story!
Event in Spanish
A Spanish language version of this event will happen on November 9 at 2:00 pm.
Click here to register for the Spanish event.

Registration is required. Please register through the library's website: https://berlinpeck.org/events/courageous-conversations-end-of-life-ethics/

People often have trouble talking about death, even though it will happen to all of us. Join us for an open, respectful conversation about the end of life, including medicalized and physician assisted death and the ways in which our own values can lead to different opinions in how we or our loved ones should be treated as we face death.
All backgrounds and viewpoints are welcome in the discussion. There are no required readings for this month, although we will provide some optional articles to read.

Register here: https://berlinpeck.org/events/2024-11-learn-to-knit-1/

Join a local knitting instructor for a three-week introduction to knitting. Please bring size 7 or 8 needles and a skein of worsted weight #4 yarn to class.
Supplies not in your budget? The library can provide needles and yarn for those who might need assistance in obtaining the items necessary to attend. Please contact the library at least a week prior to the start of class if these items are needed (860-828-7126 or [email protected]).

Please register through the library's website: https://berlinpeck.org/events/intro-to-veganism/

Vegan? Plant-based? What are you talking about?!
If you’d like to learn more about these terms that you may be seeing in the grocery store, join Librarian Sara, who has been vegan for almost 15 years. We’ll have samples of some vegan goodies and cover everything from the motivations and benefits of following an animal-free diet, navigating nutritional labels, and how easy it is in this day and age. Bring your open mind and curious taste buds!

Please register through the library's website: https://berlinpeck.org/events/author-mona-susan-power/

You’re invited to join us as Mona Susan Power chats about her newest novel A Council of Dolls. This conversation highlights how her work explores Native Rights and Native American culture, in particular using an important symbol that anchors comfort and companionship in Native life: dolls.
From the mid-century metropolis of Chicago to the windswept ancestral lands of the Dakota people, to the bleak and brutal Indian boarding schools, A Council of Dolls is the story of three women, told in part through the stories of the dolls they carried….
Sissy, born 1961: Sissy’s relationship with her beautiful and volatile mother is difficult, even dangerous, but her life is also filled with beautiful things, including a new Christmas present, a doll called Ethel. Ethel whispers advice and kindness in Sissy’s ear, and in one especially terrifying moment, maybe even saves Sissy’s life.
Lillian, born 1925: Born in her ancestral lands in a time of terrible change, Lillian clings to her sister, Blanche, and her doll, Mae. When the sisters are forced to attend an “Indian school” far from their home, Blanche refuses to be cowed by the school’s abusive nuns. But when tragedy strikes the sisters, the doll Mae finds her way to defend the girls.
Cora, born 1888: Though she was born into the brutal legacy of the “Indian Wars,” Cora isn’t afraid of the white men who remove her to a school across the country to be “civilized.” When teachers burn her beloved buckskin and beaded doll Winona, Cora discovers that the spirit of Winona may not be entirely lost…
A modern masterpiece, A Council of Dolls is gorgeous, quietly devastating, and ultimately hopeful, shining a light on the echoing damage wrought by Indian boarding schools, and the historical massacres of Indigenous people. Mona Susan Power weaves a spell of love and healing that comes alive on the page. Register now to join the conversation!

Limited “Watch at the Library” Option
You may arrange to watch this program at the library. However, the library closes at 8:00 pm, so you may miss the end of the program.

Please register through the library's website: https://berlinpeck.org/events/holiday-hat-tricks/

Learn important facts about the Christmas cactus, amaryllis, and the poinsettia from presenter Jeff Eleveld, The Plant Guy, from Plainville, CT.
Sponsored by the Kensington Garden Club.