Books in the Parlor meets on the last Tuesday of the month on every month except December. We generally read non-fiction books on American history with a smattering of historical fiction. The next book discussion will take place on Tuesday, January 28, 2025 at 2 p.m. to discuss: The Island at the Center of the World: The Epic Story of Dutch Manhattan and the Forgotten Colony That Shaped America by Russell Shorto (2005) 384 pg.
The Dutch colony pre-dated the “original” thirteen colonies, yet it seems strikingly familiar. Its capital was cosmopolitan and multi-ethnic, and its citizens valued free trade, individual rights and religious freedom. Their champion was a progressive young lawyer named Adriaen van der Donck, who emerges in these pages as a forgotten American patriot and whose political vision brought him into conflict with Peter Stuyvesant, the autocratic director of the Dutch colony. The struggle between these two strong-willed men laid the foundation for New York City and helped shape American culture.
Chick Austin House in Scarborough Road in Hartford
On Tuesday, December 3 at 2:00 p.m., Jan Beatty who is an interpreter at the Wadsworth Atheneum will present a zoom-only tour of the Unique House of Chick Austin for the book group. It is a National Historic Landmark and was the Hartford residence of the legendary and innovative A. Everett “Chick” Austin, Jr., the Atheneum’s director from 1927 to 1944. A true visionary, Austin, along with his wife, Helen Goodwin, designed their Neo-Classical Revival house after the Italian 1596 Villa Ferretti at Dolo. Set on nearly two acres, the two-story, 3,000-square-foot house is set apart by its long and narrow design, only one room deep.
All are invited to come to the book discussions and the zoom tour of the Chick Austin house. Please contact Jackie Hemond at 860-539-7367 or jives98@hotmail.com for more information.