Book Discussion and Author Q&A of "The Cold Millions"

Join us for an in-person discussion and Zoom Q&A with author Jess Walter of his best-selling novel, The Cold Millions, which looks at free speech and the First Amendment through the lens of historical fiction. Set during the Spokane, WA, Free Speech Fight of 1909-10, Walter's novel is "set against the panoramic backdrop of an early twentieth-century America that eerily echoes our own time."  The book discussion will be held in the Randolph Board Room and will be facilitated by Andy Forsyth, Assistant Library Director.  Jess Walter will join the group via Zoom.

"Vibrant…. Filled with a gusto that honors the beauty of believing in societal change and simultaneously recognizes the cruel limits of the possible…. The Cold Millions is reminiscent of the work of John dos Passos and EL. Doctorow…. [A] spirited and expansive novel." -- Wall Street Journal

Copies of The Cold Millions are available to check out or download with your Ridgefield Library card, or to purchase from Books On the Common.

This program is part of the ongoing series "What Does the First Amendment Mean Today?" offered by the Library in partnership with the Ridgefield Historical Society, the League of Women Voters of Ridgefield, the Drum Hill Chapter of the DAR and Keeler Tavern Museum & History Center.

This series is funded in part by a grant from Connecticut Humanities (CTH), an independent, non-profit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. CTH connects people to the humanities through grants, partnerships, and collaborative programs. CTH projects, administration, and program development are supported by state and federal matching funds, community foundations, and gifts from private sources. Learn more by visiting cthumanities.org.

ALL patrons must wear masks that cover nose and mouth at all times while in the Library, regardless of vaccination status, per the Town of Ridgefield. Masks must conform to current CDC recommendations