Stories of kindness, friendship, and community

Curated by: Kayla Thompson, Adult Services, Cape Girardeau Public Library

June symbolizes the start of the library’s Summer Reading Program and this year’s theme is “All Together Now”. Join us in promoting a summer full of kindness, friendship, community, and reading! Here are a few titles to start us off:

The People We Keep by Allie Larkin: This coming-of-age tale follows April – a girl who feels out of place in the world around her – who, after a fight with her father, sets out on an adventure to discover her place in life. It is a story of finding family and finding love on your own terms. It’s about the people we choose and the people we decide to keep beside us through the rough times and the smooth.

 The Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan: Anthony Peardew understands loss. This is why he keeps a collection of all the lost things he has found over time. He spends his days rescuing lost objects but rarely spends any time trying to reconnect them with their people. It’s his last dying wish and one that he enlists the help of his assistant Laura. A story of emotional connection both between people and the objects that link us.

 A Man Called Ove by Fredrick Backman: This title probably doesn’t need much help in the promotional department. Recently adapted to a movie with Tom Hanks, this story follows grumpy old man Ove and his interactions with the people around him in the community. Seen as a curmudgeon, Ove and his ways are going to change with a little help from the new family next door.

 We Are All Welcome Here by Elizabeth Berg: WAAWH follows the lives of three women intricately tied together: Paige Dunn, Diana, and Peacie. The year is 1964 in Tupelo, Mississippi. Tension over civil rights is high, and levels of hate and adversity run higher. The three women will have to embark on their own journeys to find their own freedoms amidst all their hardships.