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Introduction | Something About the Author | Events

Glastonbury Reads a Book graphic

Introduction

Glastonbury Reads A Book (GRAB) is a community-wide program that encourages local residents to read and to promote community spirit by encouraging as many people as possible to read the same book and get together to discuss it. Dreams of My Russian Summers

The GRAB choice for 2009 is:

Dreams of My Russian Summers by Andrei Makine

Dreams of My Russian Summers is a coming of age story about young Andrei’s summer visits with his Russian grandmother, Charlotte, who lives in the remote Russian village of Saranza. Charlotte and Andrei spend many summer evenings sharing her memories of turn-of-the century Paris. During adolescence, Andrei struggles with his identity: Is he Russian or is he French?

Dreams of My Russian Summers won both the Prix Goncourt and the Prix Medicis, France's top literary prizes.


How Do I Participate?

Get a copy of the book! Copies may be borrowed from the Welles-Turner Memorial Library. Copies may be purchased from the local book stores.

Read the book! During the months of January-March, join family, friends, co-workers, and members of the community and read it.

Participate! Join one of the scheduled discussion groups (TBA) or conduct your own in your neighborhood, church, or at a local restaurant.

Something About the Author: Andrei Makine

Makine was born in Siberia's third-largest city, Krasnoyarsk, in 1957, later moving to the city of Penza. He developed an early interest in France and the French language, probably due to the influence of his French-born grandmother (there is some question about this, as apparently in later interviews he has claimed to have learned French from a friend). At the age of thirty he traveled to France as part of an exchange program. He successfully requested political asylum and made France his home. He has since written several books. Dreams of My Russian Summers was originally published in 1995 under the title Le Testament Français. It became the first book to win both the Prix Goncourt and the Prix Medicis plus the Goncourt des Lycéens.

Events

DATE EVENT TIME AND PLACE NOTES
Thursday,
April 2, 2009		 Book Discussion 7:00 P.M.
Welles Turner Library
Sunday,
April 26		 Movie: Dr. Zhivago 1:15 P.M.
Welles Turner Library		 (This movie is a WOW event.



Updated April 13, 2009

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