Join the conversation at the library on Thursday, May 24th, during their book discussion of The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead. New members are always welcome, and the library supplies copies for readers to check out. Rebecca Bock, teacher librarian with the WCSD, leads the discussion at 7:00 pm.

The Underground Railroad is being acclaimed as “one of the Best books of the Year” by The New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR, The Boston Globe, The Seattle Times, HuffPost, Esquire, and the Minneapolis Star Tribune

Cora is a young slave on a cottons plantation in Georgia. An outcast even among her fellow Africans, she is on the cusp of womanhood—where greater pain awaits. And so when Caesar, a slave who has recently arrived from Virginia, urges her to join him on the Underground Railroad, she seizes the opportunity and escapes with him.

In Colson Whitehead’s ingenious conception, the Underground Railroad is no mere metaphor: engineers and conductors operate a secret network of actual tracks and tunnels beneath the Southern soil. Cora embarks on a harrowing flight from one state to the next, encountering, like Gulliver, strange yet familiar iterations of her own world at each stop. As Whitehead brilliantly re-creates the terrors of the antebellum era, he weaves in the saga of our nation, from the brutal abduction of Africans to the unfulfilled promises of the present day. The Underground Railroad is both the gripping tale of one woman’s will to escape the horrors of bondage—and a powerful meditation on the history we all share.

The John Wayne Birthplace Museum will be hosting their annual celebration of The Duke’s birthday Friday and Saturday, May 25th and 26th. With a special appearance by Red Steagall, screenings of three John Wayne films, a horse parade, 5K walk/run, pancake breakfast, country barn dance and museum benefit dinner/auction, it’s a weekend full of great fun for visitors and locals! Find a full list of the weekend’s activities at the John Wayne Birthplace Museum website.

The John Wayne Birthday Celebration 5K Run/Walk is sponsored by the Winterset Rotary and takes place on the morning of Saturday, May 26th. To register, contact Bob Kaldenberg at 462-4731 or rakaldenberg@gmail.com. Racers can also download this form and mail it to Bob by May 23rd.

Farmer’s and Merchant’s State Bank has two events coming up soon for members of their Heritage Club. Tuesday, June 5th, is the annual Heritage Club Picnic and Thursday, June 7th, is a Dollars and Donuts program featuring the Apron Lady with her collection of vintage aprons. Reservations are required for the picnic and requested for the Dollars and Donuts program so if you’re a member of the heritage club, please contact Stephanie Gerleman at FMSB to reserve your spot.

Finally

Have we mentioned yet that we’re big fans of our local merchants? Not only do they provide great shopping opportunities or us locals and allure for tourists to visit our lovely town, but several times a year they team up with the Madison County Chamber of Commerce to plan special events. One such event is the Women’s Weekend in Winterset being planned for June 8th – 10th. This is a special weekend of classes, workshops, demos, entertainment, pampering, dining, shopping & much more that kicks off with a reception on Friday, June 8th, from 4:00 – 6:00 pm, in the upstairs rooms at Piece Works Quilt Shop and the Ladies Night Out Shopping Event from 6:00 – 9:00 pm. Registration for the weekend is now open at through the Chamber of Commerce.  Spaces in many classes and workshops are limited, so sign up right away!