History authors Sparrow, Lattimore and Page to appear Sept. 28
The eighth annual History Book Festival is set for Friday to Sunday, Sept. 27 to 29, in Lewes. Live events will feature 23 distinguished authors of historical nonfiction and fiction including Paul Sparrow, Ashton Lattimore and Susan Page.
Sparrow, a Lewes local, is a writer, historical consultant, and former director of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum in Hyde Park, N.Y. He will present his book, “Awakening the Spirit of America: FDR’s War of Words with Charles Lindbergh – and the Battle to Save Democracy.”
“When studying Franklin Roosevelt, one quality immediately comes to the front: his unshakeable belief in the American people and the great experiment that is our democracy. He faced two of the gravest crises in our history: the Great Depression and World War II. His most effective tools in solving these challenges were words. I hope his words provide readers with some comfort and inspiration as we once again find ourselves facing troubling times,” said Sparrow.
In conversation with Sparrow at the festival will be Laurie Fulton. “Paul Sparrow is perhaps the most familiar person with the FDR archives. He is a great researcher, he is a great author, and he is an even better presenter,” she said.
Lattimore will present her debut novel, “All We Were Promised.” “[It] is, at its heart, an abolition story,” said Lattimore. “By attending my event, I hope readers will come away with a more nuanced picture of the abolitionist community in Philadelphia in all its complexity, and a deeper understanding of how Black women in particular were active, strategic and pivotal participants in the liberation of their own people right from the beginning.” The History Book Festival has partnered with the Southern Delaware Alliance for Racial Justice to host Lattimore’s event.
Page will present her book “The Rulebreaker: The Life and Times of Barbara Walters.” Page conducted 150 interviews and extensive archival research to create this comprehensive biography of the late female broadcaster.
When asked how the festival slogan, “Find Your Place in History,” can be interpreted in relation to her work, Page said, “I think it’s important to find women’s place in history. Did you know that men are more likely to have biographies written about them than women? Even if women have comparable achievements. It’s important to look at the place of women in history and understand the context in which they lived. And that is why my book is titled ‘The Rulebreaker: The Life and Times of Barbara Walters,’ because it is not just about Barbara, but also women in that time more generally.” The History Book Festival has partnered with Seaside Jewish Community to present this event.
Books can be purchased at each venue, or they may be bought in advance at Browseabout Books in Rehoboth Beach, the official bookseller of the History Book Festival, or at Biblion in Lewes. Authors will be available to personalize books after their presentations.
For more information on all presenting authors and their featured books, go to historybookfestival.org.
The History Book Festival is presented by Delaware Humanities, National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Lee Ann Wilkinson Group, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices PenFed Realty. Special thanks go to HBF’s Founding Program Partners for their continuing support: the Lewes Public Library for event promotion and production, and Browseabout Books.
