Literary Book Club
Friday, January 31
11:00am - 12:00pm
Peterborough Town Library
Eben Jones ClassroomThis month we will be reading, "The Only Woman in the Room" by Marie Benedict. Click on the event title for more information.
"Benedict paints a shining portrait of a complicated woman who knows the astonishing power of her beauty but longs to be recognized for her sharp intellect. Readers will be enthralled." - (Publishers Weekly, starred review).
Benedict, author of Carnegie's Maid, reimagines the lesser-known aspects of renowned Hollywood actress Hedy Lamarr. In 1937, fleeing her abusive, controlling husband, military-arms dealer Friedrich Mandl, and an increasingly powerful and ruthless Nazi regime, the Jewish, Austrian-born Hedy escapes to London, where she connects with and charms an impressed Louis B. Mayer. In Hollywood, she is billed as the most beautiful woman in the world, but her flawless face masks an inquisitive scientific brain. Unable to forget the military secrets she learned while married to Mandl and eager to assist the Allied cause, Hedy teams with avant-garde composer George Anthiel, ultimately inventing a radio-guided torpedo system. Though never used during the war, their ingenious invention was instrumental in the evolution of blue-tooth technology.
Benedict's compelling fictionalized biography pays tribute to the overlooked scientific contributions and the hidden depths of a stunning beauty and beloved movie star of superior intelligence and verve through an irresistible combination of Hollywood glamour and international intrigue. -- Margaret Flanagan (Reviewed 12/1/2018) (Booklist, vol 115, number 7, p36)
The Only Woman in the Room is available on Libby as an e-book: https://libbyapp.com/search/nh/search/query-The%20Only%20Woman%20in%20the%20Room/page-1/4178278
How it Works?
Literary Book Club meets on the last Friday of the month at 11am. We read both fiction and non-fiction. All are welcome to our discussions. Books will be available at the main desk in early January. We provide regular print, large print, and audio when it is available. If you would like an alternative format, please let us know and we’ll do our best to accommodate your request!
If you have questions or would like to be added to the Literary Book Club email list, contact Rebecca at renman@peterboroughnh.gov or call the Help Desk: 603-924-8040.
Peterborough Town Library
Peterborough Town Library, located downtown at the corner of Main and Concord/Rt 202, has a large meeting room, study rooms, classroom, and a board room available to the public.