Get Lit March Book Club: Adam Haslett

Join WNYC's Alison Stewart and Adam Haslett for a live conversation about his newest book, Mothers and Sons.

The New York Public Library and WNYC—two indispensable New York institutions—are partnering to host a book club that brings New Yorkers together and fosters community.

The March title is Adam Haslett's Mothers and Sons, an enthralling story about family, forgiveness, and how a fleeting act of violence can change a life forever.

At forty, Peter, an asylum lawyer in New York City, is overworked and isolated. He spends his days immersed in the struggles of immigrants only to return to an empty apartment and occasional hook-ups with a man who wants more than Peter can give. But when the asylum case of a young gay man pierces Peter’s numbness, the event that he has avoided for twenty years returns to haunt him. 

Ann, his mother, who runs a women’s retreat center she founded after leaving his father, is hurt by the estrangement from Peter but cherishes the world she has built. She long ago put behind her the decision that divided her from her son. But as Peter’s case plunges him further into the fraught memory of his first love and the night of violence that changed his life, he and his mother must confront the secret that tore them apart.

Throughout the month, All of It host Alison Stewart and the Library will accompany readers, providing touchpoints on-air and on social media at @allofitwnyc and @nypl. Borrow the book (and more than 300,000 others) for free through the Library’s e-reader app SimplyE, available for iOS and Android devices.

Join Stewart, the author, and readers everywhere for a live conversation, in-person or online, on Wednesday, April 2 at 6 PM.

To join in person | Please be sure to register for an In-Person Ticket. Doors will open 30 minutes before the program. For free events, we generally overbook to ensure a full house. Priority will be given to those who have registered in advance, but registration does not guarantee admission. All registered seats are released shortly before start time, and seats may become available at that time. A standby line will form 30 minutes before the program.

To join the livestream | A livestream of this event will be available on the NYPL event page. To receive an email reminder shortly in advance of the event, please be sure to register!

COVID PROTOCOLS FOR IN-PERSON PROGRAMS

The New York Public Library no longer mandates proof of vaccination at large-scale public events.

If you have symptoms consistent with COVID-19 or suspect you have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive, please stay home.

ACCESSIBILITY

In-Person | Assistive listening devices and/or hearing loops are available at the venue. You can request a free ASL (American Sign Language) interpretation or CART (Communication Access Real-Time Translation) captioning service by emailing your request at least two weeks in advance of the event: email accessibility@nypl.org or use this Gmail template. This venue is fully accessible to wheelchairs.

Livestream | Captions and a transcript will be provided. You can request a free ASL (American Sign Language) interpretation by emailing your request at least two weeks in advance of the event: email accessibility@nypl.org or use this Gmail template.

GET THE BOOK

• Borrow: NYPL Catalog


• E-Book app: SimplyE, soon available on iOS and Android

Don't have a New York Public Library card? Get one here!

To see all of our previous WNYC Get Lit titles check out our book club page here!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Adam Haslett is a two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist, as well as a New York Times bestseller for his debut, You Are Not a Stranger Here, a National Book Award finalist. He is also the recipient of the PEN/Malamud, the PEN/Winship, the Strauss Living Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the Berlin Prize, and a Guggenheim Fellowship, among other honors. His previous novel, Imagine Me Gone (2016), was a national bestseller and a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award, as well as being longlisted for the National Book Award and winning the Los Angeles Times Book Prize.

CONNECT

Please submit all press inquiries at least 48 hours before the event by emailing press@nypl.org or by using this Gmail template.

For all other questions and inquiries, please email adultprogramming@nypl.org or use this Gmail template.

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