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RICHMOND REPORT: Author will share his 'Tale'
Leslie DeLooze, Richmond Memorial Library
March 7, 2009
BATAVIA -- What would an 18-year-old student and an 88-year-old woman
have in common? hey are among the many readers who are captivated by
this year's "A Tale for Three Counties" book, Separate from
the World by P.L. Gaus.
Author Paul Gaus will speak at the Richmond Memorial Library, 19 Ross St., at 7 p.m. Thursday. He will also talk at Genesee Community College at 1 p.m. Thursday, at Lee-Whedon Memorial Library in Medina at 7 p.m. Friday, and at the Perry Elementary/Middle School Auditorium at 2 p.m. March 14. These free programs are the culmination of the seventh-annual "one-book" project for Genesee, Orleans, and Wyoming Counties.
Gaus writes books set in Holmes County, Ohio, where the largest settlement of Amish is located. His books are a fascinating look at this group of Americans who place their faith and community in front of individuals. His books contain interesting looks at other communities, such as a small Midwestern college campus and local law enforcement workers.
In these books, both English and Amish face complicated decisions about their lives. In Separate from the World, one Amish family is struggling with genetic health issues and whether they should accept modern medicine; dilemmas in his other books concern teens' decisions to live English or Amish following their Rumschpringe, the loss of affordable farmland, and turning away from revenge.
Like many novels, his books present thoughtful ways to look at life's big questions. How do you end a meaningful career? At what point do you allow your children to make their own decisions about their adult lives? How can you balance pacifism and justice? What benefits are there for offering complete forgiveness? Can friendships survive when friends hold completely different points of view?
And from these books specifically, we can contrast English and Amish culture and wonder about what the Amish can teach us about faith and community, helping others, about living "green," and about evaluating the importance of technological devices in our lives.
The author's visit this coming week gives readers a chance to hear how Gaus has researched his topics, what inspires him to write, and how he happened begin writing mysteries while also teaching college chemistry. For more information, visit www.taleforthreecounties.org.
Courtesy of Batavia Newspapers Corporation