Appomattox Regional
Library System

Bloodroot by Amy Greene

Bloodroot will be the second book discussed this summer by the “Literary Lite” reading team as part of the ARLS Adult Summer Reading Program. The discussion is set for June 22 at 7:00 p.m. in the Hopewell Library.

Amy Greene is a name that may be new to you, due to the fact that this is her debut novel. The bloodroot referred to in the title is a wild plant of the southern Appalachian region which is used in folk remedies, an aspect of their local community that holds a special meaning to a certain family. The novel presents the story of this Tennessee mountain family through four generations and through several voices, culminating in the story of Myra, the wild woods girl, and her doomed love affair with John Odom. Odom, the son of a store owner in town, has a troubled past that tempts him to control what cannot be controlled- a choice with terrible consequences for all involved.

The Girl Who Fell From the Sky by Heidi Durrow

The “Literary Lite” Book Team will discuss this book on May 27 at 7:00 p.m. in the Hopewell Library Quiet Room. This event is part of our “Water Your Mind” Summer Reading Program for Adults.

Heidi Durrow’s debut novel, The Girl Who Fell From the Sky, won the Bellweather Prize, Barbara Kingsolver’s award for fiction addressing issues of social justice. It’s clear why. This novel chronicles the life of Rachel, a biracial daughter of an African American father and a Danish mother (which by the way is also the situation of the author herself). In the opening pages we learn that Rachel’s mom jumped off a roof and died along with Rachel’s two siblings. The story explores Rachel’s struggle to fit into the world, to become a person, and to survive, as she grows from child to adult.

The Timeless Peter Drucker

Nonprofit leaders today recognize the great benefit of implementing solid business principles and practices. In a recent Nonprofit Learning Point class on strategic management, Wally Stettinius often drew on the wisdom of revered business thinker Peter Drucker. Drucker began writing his timeless business treatises in the 1930s and continued up until 2005 when he died at nearly 94 years of age. My personal favorite is The Five Most Important Questions You Will Ever Ask about Your Organization. In this book, Drucker proposes those questions, all of which can be translated easily into nonprofit application: What is our mission? Who is our customer? What does the customer value? What are our results? What is our plan?

If you were drawn into the nonprofit world because of mission and find yourself in need of great business management tools, read Drucker. If you’ve been in management for a long time but haven’t read much of Drucker yet, read some more. You won’t be disappointed.