Join the Springfield Town Library on Wednesday, July 13, at 12 p.m. as they welcome Vermont author Michael Freed-Thall to talk about his published romantic historical fiction novel, “Horodno Burning.”

Esther (Estes) Leving, a brilliant young bibliophile, chafes at male dominance, religious dogma, and anti-Semitism. Bernard Garfinkle, a religious Jew and the son of a vodka distiller, hides a shameful secret: in a culture that worships books, he can’t read. Despite their differences, they fall in love. Estes teaches Bernard to read, and he, in turn, builds her a bookshop. They start a family, but when ferocious pogroms target Russian Jews, they must confront violent oppression.

Exploring this turbulent history, “Horodno Burning” brings the reader into a culture under terrible stress. How Estes and Bernard respond will determine who they become and whether or not they survive.

When he’s not cutting next winter’s firewood, pulling weeds in the garden, or off on an adventure with his wife Patricia, Michael Freed-Thall is probably staring at his computer waiting for inspiration. When he retired after thirty years as a teacher and principal in Vermont schools, he took up writing.

A collaboration between the Springfield Town Library and Village Square Booksellers, this event is free and open to the public. Contact the library at 802-885-3108 with any questions.

To attend through zoom you must sign up to receive the link at www.bit.ly/3QTnbum.
This event is both in-person and offered via Zoom.