As winter sets in, a good book can stifle the chill, diminish the darkness, and uplift our spirits. As Ann Lamott says, "Writing and reading decrease our sense of isolation. They deepen and widen and expand our sense of life: They feed the soul." 

This month the Campus Community Book Club will read and discuss President-elect Joe Biden's painfully written memoir, "Promise Me, Dad: A Year of Hope, Hardship, and Purpose," inspired by his son, Beau, who succumbed to cancer in 2015. The meeting will be held via Zoom on Wednesday, January 13th at noon.

Prior to his death, Beau said to his father, "Promise me, Dad, give me your word that no matter what happens, you're going to be all right." And Joe gave him his word.

This book chronicles the year following Beau's death, the last year of the Obama-Biden administration, and Joe's ultimate decision not to seek the presidency in 2016. "Writing with poignancy and immediacy, Biden allows readers to feel the urgency of each moment, to experience the days when he felt unable to move forward as well as the days when he felt like he could not afford to stop. This is a book written not just by the vice president but by a father, grandfather, friend, and husband. Promise Me, Dad is a story of how family and friendships sustain us and how hope, purpose, and action can guide us through the pain of personal loss into the light of a new future." (from the publisher)

As Joe Biden prepares to take the oath of office for the presidency on January 20, 2021, we thought it would be fitting to read his story. Please join us. To receive the Zoom link for this meeting RSVP to this announcement or email mariannesciucco@sunyorange.edu. 

Note: This book is available in a variety of formats through the Ramapo-Catskill Library system and at your favorite online bookstore.