BRATTLEBORO — The Brattleboro Literary Festival invites everyone to a virtual summer Literary Cocktail Hour, featuring New York Times best-selling author Caroline Leavitt in conversation with best-selling author Amy Poeppel.
The two authors will talk on Friday, Aug. 14, at 5 p.m.
Poeppel will her talk about her new book, Musical Chairs, a funny novel that explores Bridget Stratton's summer - it was not what she planned. It is a story of motherhood, sisterhood, fixing up a house, music, and aging. It is also a story of being scared to change and yet still wanting to, and a story of falling in love.
The book has been widely praised, described by Kirkus Reviews in a starred review as “A delightful novel that celebrates the messiness and joy to be found in real life.”
It's a comic take on the changes a summer brings for a cellist, her grown children, her friends and her extended family. Humor comes in the form of an errant herd of sheep, a feisty parrot named Ronaldo, and epically-awful wedding-wear.
According to the starred review in Kirkus, Caroline Leavitt's new novel, With or Without You, asks the question “What if Snow White woke up and decided she didn't much like Prince Charming?”
It is the story of Stella and Simon who, after almost 20 years together, are starting to run into problems. An up-and-coming rock musician when they first met, Simon has been clinging to dreams of fame and he wants to go on the road, leaving Stella behind.
But when she falls into a coma on the eve of his departure, he has to make a choice between stardom and his wife - and when she wakes a different person, with an incredible artistic talent of her own, the two of them must examine what it is that they really want.
To register for this free event, go to bit.ly/LitCocktail4. Registered participants will be able to interact with the authors in a question and answer session. The event will also be live-streamed on the Brattleboro Literary Festival's Facebook page without registering at facebook.com/brattleborolitfest.