Scarsdale Adult School Catalog Winter 2024
Book Chat with Anna Katsavos Join fellow fiction enthusiasts to discuss critically acclaimed novels.
ANNA KATSAVOS , PhD, is an experienced book group facilitator. A SUNY Professor Emerita of English Literature and Women’s Studies, she has received numerous awards for teaching, and her scholarship has been published in a variety of literary journals. She has interviewed many best-selling authors and has presented interactive programs focusing on a wide range of women’s issues. Additionally, she conducts writing, editing and publishing workshops.
Olga Dies Dreaming (2022) by Xóchitl González This debut novel is part romantic comedy and part social commentary, with a title that alludes to Pedro Pietri's poem, ''Puerto Rican Obituary.'' Set in New York City, the story follows Olga, a status-driven wedding planner to Manhattan's elite, who is also the sister of a congressman representing a gentrifying Latinx Brooklyn neighborhood. Their mother had abandoned Olga and her brother to become a militant radical activist for Puerto Rican independence, only to return into their lives in the midst of the most devastating hurricane in Puerto Rico's history. The book captures Nuyorican culture with engaging portrayals of supporting characters while interweaving themes of political corruption and family strife into a funny and entertaining drama. Tuesday, January 16 • 10:00am-11:30am • Online • Course 12372 • $30
The Covenant of Water (2023) by Abraham Verghese His first novel since the 2008 bestseller Cutting for Stone , The Covenant of Water is an epic that spans the years 1900 to 1977 and follows a family in South India where at least one member of each generation dies by drowning. The sweeping saga covers love, religion, natural disasters, colonialism, revolution, caste systems, disease, medicine, and scientific progress while paying tribute to the sacrifices families make for the sake of future generations. Wednesday, January 31 • 7:00pm-8:30pm • Online • Course 12373 • $30
Hello Beautiful (2023) by Ann Napolitano
This profoundly moving family saga, at times heartbreaking, explores a number of emotionally complicated issues and predicaments, as the author expertly tackles themes of grief, mental illness, love, loss, betrayal, and forgiveness. Written with a nod toward Louisa May Alcott’s classic Little Women, the novel focuses on four sisters, close-knit but distinct, as they test the limits of sisterly devotion and family obligations. Though inseparable, the Padavano girls are very different: Julia is the most ambitious; Sylvie the dreamer; Cecelia the artist; and Emeline the caretaker. When William Waters, Julia’s beau, enters their world, so does unexpected chaos, causing a catastrophic family feud. As the years pass, the family must deal with depression, teen pregnancy, divorce, a suicide attempt and much more, testing the sisters’ devotion to one another. Pair this course with the author visit with Ann Napolitano (Course 12378), also in the winter schedule. Separate registration is required.
Tuesday, February 6 • 10:00am-11:30am • Online • Course 12374 • $30
www.ScarsdaleAdultSchool.org • (914) 723-2325
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