TALK Book Discussion Series: Women Choosing Their Own Paths

Name: TALK Book Discussion Series: Women Choosing Their Own Paths
Start: 2026-05-05T18:30:00-05:00
End: 2026-05-05T19:30:00-05:00
Location: Newton Public Library

Schedule

Tue May 05 2026 at 06:30 pm to 07:30 pm

UTC-05:00

Location

Newton Public Library | Newton, KS

This spring, Newton Public Library presents “Turning Points: Stories of Women Choosing Their Own Paths,” a three-part TALK (Talk About Literature in Kansas) book discussion series.
Life is formed of countless choices, from tiny details to turning points. Every day, we make choices that could change the courses of our lives and ripple out to impact the lives of other people. Through these stories of women who face a turning point and choose their own paths forward, readers will explore themes such as belonging, self-worth, and stereotypes.
Members of the public are invited to participate in any or all of these free discussions. Each will be led by a special guest.
Copies of the selected books are available for borrowing. Ask at the public service desk, email [email protected], or call 316-283-2890. Book sets are provided thanks to support from Humanities Kansas.
• Tuesday, March 3, 6:30 p.m.: “Lessons in Chemistry,” by Bonnie Garmus. Discussion leader: Kathryn Layman, professor of chemistry and physics, Bethel College.
Elizabeth Zott is a chemist, a brilliant mind and hard worker who is not taken seriously in the male-dominated science field of the 1960s. In a moment of desperation, she accepts a job as the host of a cooking show. Her producer imagines Elizabeth wearing a cute apron and cooking in a kitchen full of kitschy decor and gadgets, but Elizabeth has other ideas.
• Tuesday, April 7, 6:30 p.m.: “The Vanishing Half,” by Brit Bennett. Discussion leader: Julia Kuttler, assistant professor of communication, McPherson College.
What happens when a woman cuts ties with her old life and chooses a different identity? This book is a compassionate exploration of public and private identity, and the ways that the choices of one person impact the lives of generations to come. When Stella takes a job usually reserved for white girls, letting her employer assume that she is white based on her light-skinned appearance, she find sthat her life feels easier and better – so she starts a new life, completely cut off from her past. Years later, her family will have to reckon with long-buried secrets and the truth of who they are.
• Tuesday, May 5, 6:30 p.m.: “The Midnight Library,” by Matt Haig. Discussion leader: Rachel Epp Buller, professor of visual arts and design, Bethel College.
Burdened with regrets, Nora decides to end her life but instead finds herself in a space between life and death: The Midnight Library. In this library, the shelves are infinite and filled with books. Each book contains a version of Nora, a life story that could have existed if she had made different choices. Before her time runs out, Nora must decide for herself what is important, and why life is worth living.