All are invited to join us for the first meeting of EHS’s Connecticut History Book Club. EHS will host this quarterly book club to explore the state's past through both fiction and non-fiction works, highlighting key events, figures, and themes that shaped the state or played a larger role in America’s history. We will focus on works that illuminate the bring marginalized stories to the forefront, offering a deeper understanding of Connecticut's diverse history. Join us for insightful discussions that connect the past to the present, revealing the histories that shaped our state.

 For our first book we have chosen the novel: The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare. While Connecticut natives may have had this as required reading in grade school, newer residents may not yet be familiar with this 1959 Newbery Medal Winner about a young woman in colonial Connecticut. This title is appropriate for ages young adult and up. Books can be checked out from Ivoryton Library or Essex Library Association, or purchased wherever you get your books.

On Wednesday, June 18, we will meet at Pratt House for a book discussion lead by EHS Director, Melissa Josefiak. This event is FREE and lite refreshments will be provided.

Book description from the publisher: “Sixteen-year-old Kit Tyler is marked by suspicion and disapproval from the moment she arrives on the unfamiliar shores of colonial Connecticut in 1687. Alone and desperate, she has been forced to leave her beloved home on the island of Barbados and join a family she has never met.

Torn between her quest for belonging and her desire to be true to herself, Kit struggles to survive in a hostile place. Just when it seems she must give up, she finds a kindred spirit. But Kit’s friendship with Hannah Tupper, believed by the colonists to be a witch, proves more taboo than she could have imagined and ultimately forces Kit to choose between her heart and her duty.” (harpercollins.com)