Colorado Springs, Colo. July 1, 2024 — Pikes Peak Library District (PPLD) announces the 2024 selection for All Pikes Peak Reads, its annual community reads program: Go as a River by Colorado local author Shelley Read. All Pikes Peak Reads focuses on celebrating literature, improving community connections, and fostering dialogue across social, cultural, and generational lines. Each year, PPLD selects APPR titles that focus on timely topics and plans a variety of community-wide programs and activities to pair with the book. This year’s title is a historical fiction book set in the former Colorado town of Iola that tells the story of love held deeply in the face of hardship and loss, and examines courage, resilience, and the finding of home.
“One reason that we chose this book is that it intersects with a lesser-known part of Colorado history,” explains Senior Librarian Heidi Buljung. “The book takes place at the time when the town of Iola was flooded to make the Blue Mesa Reservoir. The project forced hundreds of families to abandon their homes and livelihoods in 1965.”
The book takes readers on a literary journey described as being as hopeful as it is tragic, while encouraging readers to rethink their definition of home and family.
“Go as a River has been something of a global phenomenon and has already been optioned for movie rights,” says Buljung. “It’s exciting that we can offer patrons a chance to meet the author of a novel that has taken the global literary world by storm. This is the first fiction book we have selected for All Pikes Peak Reads in a few years, and it really lends itself to lifelong learning and discovering lesser-known parts of Colorado history.”
Anyone who wants to participate in All Pikes Peak Reads can check out a physical or digital copy of the book, available now. Book clubs at several library locations will also read the book together, and anyone interested can find their nearest library book club by visiting ppld.org/book-clubs. Read will give a keynote presentation on Sat., Oct. 5 at 3 p.m. at Library 21c followed by a meet-and-greet and book signing. A representative from Poor Richards bookstore will be on hand for book sales during the event.
PPLD has programming planned in September to complement the book. There will be an additional author talk with David Primus discussing the history of the Gunnison River Valley before the Blue Mesa Reservoir was completed. Because peaches are another focus of the book, there will also be canning classes from El Paso County CSU Extension and peach cobbler classes with a local chef.
- Beneath Blue Mesa: Author Talk with David Primus
- East Library: Thu., Sept. 19 at 6 p.m.
- Introduction to Canning: Water Bath Canning
- Sand Creek Library: Thu., Sept. 5 at noon
- Calhan Library: Wed., Sept. 25 at noon
- Peach Cobbler: A Hands-On Nostalgic Experience
- High Prairie Library: Mon., Sept. 9 at 1 p.m.
- Library 21c: Wed., Sept. 11 at 6 p.m.
Information about All Pikes Peak Reads and its scheduled programs can be found at ppld.org/appr.
