April 20:  The Year of Wonders, by Geraldine Brooks [fiction]

This gripping historical novel is based on the true story of Eyam, the "Plague Village," in the rugged mountain spine of England. In 1666, a tainted bolt of cloth from London carries bubonic infection to this isolated settlement of shepherds and lead miners. A visionary young preacher convinces the villagers to seal themselves off in a deadly quarantine to prevent the spread of disease. The story is told through the eyes of eighteen-year-old Anna Frith, the vicar's maid, as she confronts the loss of her family, the disintegration of her community, and the lure of a dangerous and illicit love. As the death toll rises and people turn from prayers and herbal cures to sorcery and murderous witch-hunting, Anna emerges as an unlikely and courageous heroine in the village's desperate fight to save itself.--BookBrowse database

May 18:  The Help by Kathryn Stockett  [fiction] 

Limited and persecuted by racial divides in 1962 Jackson, Mississippi, three women, including an African-American maid, her sassy and chronically unemployed friend, and a recently graduated white woman, team up for a clandestine project. – from the NoveList database

Read reviews, author bio, and more about The Help in the BookBrowse database.  [you may need your Latah County Library District library card number for access]

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June 15:  The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer.  [nonfiction]

A 2010 Alex Award winner, this book tells the story of an enterprising teenager in Malawi who builds a windmill from scraps he finds around his village.  Through his initiative he brings electricity, and a future, to his family.

Read reviews, author bio, and more about The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind  in the BookBrowse database.  [you may need your Latah County Library District library card number for access]

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July 20:  All Roads Lead Me Back To You by Kennedy Foster  [fiction]

Rescuing Mexican Domingo Roque during a harsh southeast Washington storm, rancher Alice Anderson learns that the handsome vaquero is on the run from immigration services while she struggles to protect her ranch from a claim by a drug addict.

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August 17:  Riding the Iron Rooster by Paul Theroux.  [nonfiction]

Paul Theroux, the author of the train travel classics The Great Railway Bazaar and The Old Patagonian Express, takes to the rails once again in this account of his epic journey through China. He hops aboard as part of a tour group in London and sets out for China's border. He then spends a year traversing the country, where he pieces together a fascinating snapshot of a unique moment in history. From the barren deserts of Xinjiang to the ice forests of Manchuria, from the dense metropolises of Shanghai, Beijing, and Canton to the dry hills of Tibet, Theroux offers an unforgettable portrait of a magnificent land and an extraordinary people. – from Ingram iPage

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