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The Pleasure was Mine by Tommy Hays has been selected as the 2008 One City,One Book community-wide read.  

Kick-Off Event, Sunday, October 19, 3 pm at Central Library
Featuring a reading by Tommy Hays. Details.

About the book: Prate Marshbanks is slowly losing his wife Irene to Alzheimer's. To complicate things, Prate's son, Newell, a recently widowed single father, asks Prate to keep nine-year-old Jackson for the summer. Though Prate is irritated at first by the presence of his moody grandson, during the summer his feelings toward Jackson change as his grandson helps him care for Irene. As Irene's memory fades, Prate, a hard-working man who has kept to himself most of his life, has little choice but to get to know his family.

The selection committee felt that the themes in The Pleasure Was Mine are universal and unifying. All of us, no matter what our race or class, will face issues of aging, health care, and family conflict.

Visit the One City, One Book website for events, discussion guides and more.

Discussion, author readings, and other opportunities to participate will be featured during the month of November 2008. For ideas on how to participate or make suggestions for programs, contact the project coordinator.