Join Gramercy Books owner and author Linda Kass for the book launch of her fourth novel\, World News from Waverl ey High\, a coming-of-age story set in an urban high school during on e year\, 1969 to 1970\, where classmates forge friendships and debate over issues of race\, politics\, and belonging against the backdrop of nationa l unrest and some of history&rsquo\;s best rock and roll. Kass with be in conversation with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and bestselling author Connie Schultz.
\nReg istration for this free event is on Eventbrite\, where you can pre-ord er the book as well. Bexley Public Library is Gramercy&rsquo\;s Community Partner for this event.
\nAbout the Book:< /p>\n
Told through the eyes of precocious teenager Lena Rosen\, the nove l chronicles the spirit and soundtrack of that volatile year for Lena and her fellow classmates as they navigate high school hallways and a country in crisis. With chapters titled by classic songs from the times\, and a na rrative shaped by Lena&rsquo\;s sharp\, ethical mind as a budding journali st at her school paper\, the novel takes the reader back to key moments in American history through the lens of idealistic young adults.
\nDur ing her junior year\, Lena becomes attuned to the pulse of her times in he r first period Current History class\, where rebellion\, social change\, a nd musical innovation of the 1960s dominate discussion. When she becomes t he associate editor of the school newspaper The Beacon\, Lena is drawn int o the swirling discourse surrounding the Vietnam War\, civil rights\, envi ronmental debacles\, and campus protests&mdash\;while also navigating her growing attraction to Jack Stone\, the paper&rsquo\;s editor.
\nAs t he year progresses and the antiwar movement gains momentum\, the unrest bu ilds at Waverley High. Lena wrestles with her own cultural and religious i dentity as a Jewish teen while she and fellow students struggle to cope wi th racial discord\, a bomb threat\, and the emotional toll of a world that seems to be unraveling. When tragedy collapses the distance between headl ines and Lena&rsquo\;s own life\, she must decide what it means to stand f or peace&mdash\;and to hope for a better world.
\nSet during one sch ool year against the backdrop of an America on the brink of change\, World News from Waverley High reveals the crossroads of personal growth and nat ional unrest at an urban high school.
\nSays Wil Haygood\, author of The War Within a War: The Black Struggle in Vietnam and at Home\ , &ldquo\;The characters in this bighearted novel set in a high school are trying to make sense of that astounding\, magnetic\, musical\, and tumult uous decade known as The Sixties. Linda Kass orchestrates the telling of i t all with eloquence and true tenderness.&rdquo\;
\nAbout th e Author:
\nLinda Kass began her career as a magazine journalist and correspondent for regional and national publica tions. Along with her forthcoming novel\, World News from Waverley Hig h (September 2026)\, she is the author of three previous works of his torical fiction: Tasa&rsquo\;s Song (2016)\, A Ritchie Boy (2020)\, and Bessie (2023). A longtime civic leader\, she is t he founder and owner of Gramercy Books\, an independent bookstore in Centr al Ohio\, now in its tenth year. Kass lives in the Columbus area with her husband\, Frank and their labradoodle\, Wally. They have four children and six grandchildren.
\nAbout the Moderator:
\nConnie Schultz is a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer and Pro fessor of Practice in Journalism at Denison University. Her favorite job t itle is Grandma. She is the author of a collection of essays\, Life Ha ppens\, and a political memoir\, &hellip\;and His Lovely Wife. Her first novel\, The Daughters of Erietown\, was a New York T imes bestseller in 2020. Her debut picture book\, Lola and the Troll\, was released in February 2024. Schultz lives in the Columbus area wi th her husband\, Sherrod Brown\, and their two rescue dogs\, Franklin and Walter. They have four children and eight grandchildren.
\nC an't make it to the library? Join the program live stream on BPL's You Tube channel.
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