Geneva Library to give away 1,295 books for One Book, One Community

In beginning its fourth year of One Book, One Community, the Geneva Public Library will give away 1,295 copies of “No Two Persons” by Erica Bauermeister.

Information and Reader Services Coordinator Lauren Maxwell presented the City Council with copies of the books Monday.

“This year, we have selected a book that explores the interconnectedness of our experiences and the impact that a book can have on our lives,” Maxwell said.

Bauermeister is an award-winning and New York Times bestselling author of five novels and have been Reese’s Book Club and Indie Next Picks, Maxwell said.

“Her writing has been called ‘delightful, gloriously original and wondrously moving,’” Maxwell said.

“‘No Two Persons’ highlights the invisible threads that link our lives. As we follow the novel’s journey from one character to the next, we are reminded that every life holds it own struggles,” Maxwell said. “And that it is often through shared stories and experiences that we find the strength to carry on.”

The Friends of the Geneva Library donated the nearly 1,300 books that will be given away starting Saturday, Feb. 8, she said.

Books will also be available for checkout in print and through the digital eLibrary.

Also as part of the One Book, One Community, the library will provide supplies and kits to make a Tiny Art project on three-by-five-inch canvases to hang in the lobby.

The author will participate in the finale celebration Sunday, April 13 through the support of the Library Foundation, Maxwell said.

“She will share her insights with our community and will be available to sign books afterward,” Maxwell said.

The library is also hosting a Community Resource Fair Saturday, March 8; a Volunteer Fair and Blood Drive on Wednesday, April 5; and a community-wide discussion of the book at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 9 of the themes and how it highlights Geneva’s community spirit, she said.

“It’s just a joy to see your enthusiasm about this,” Second Ward Alderperson Richard Marks said. “I can tell you found the right place, the right job – and it’s great to see.”

Fourth Ward Alderperson Martha Paschke thanked Maxwell for sharing the program.

“The book sounds like a very timely book for our community to be reading together,” Paschke said.