Civil War Book Club to discuss Douglass and Reconstruction The library’s Civil War Book Club will meet beginning at 10 a.m. on Saturday, February 7, to discuss The Failed Promise: Reconstruction, Frederick Douglass, and the Impeachment of Andrew Johnson by Robert S. Levine. In this book, Levine discusses the strained relationship between President Andrew Johnson, who took office after the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln, and Frederick Douglass, one of the most influential leaders of the 19th Century Black community. Reconstruction — the period of time immediately following the Civil War — was an era of significate change, and, as Levine writes, was a period of “lost promise and dire failure” as the country addressed the rights of newlyfreed African Americans. Douglass, who was an abolitionist, statesman, minister, and champion of Civil Rights, was born into slavery in Maryland in 1818. Having escaped to New York as a young adult, he became a talented writer, orator, and central voice of the Black community during Reconstruction, meeting with President Johnson along with a Black delegation in 1866. Douglass continued to fight for the equal rights of all people until his death in 1895. Copies of The Failed Promise can be borrowed from the library. The eBook can be found on the Ohio Digital Library through the Libby app. For more information about Frederick Douglass, read his autobiography entitled Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave. First published in 1845, this title can be borrowed from the library. The Civil War Book Club typically meets once per quarter at the library. The book club is moderated by Gene Huffman of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, Cadot Blessing Camp, No. 126. Anyone with an interest in the history of the Civil War era is welcome and encouraged to attend. Cookbook Club returns Bossard Library’s “Food for Thought” Cookbook Club returns on Saturday, February 7 and will discuss Italian cuisine during their meeting at 1 p.m. at the library. Attendees are encouraged to check out the book Cooking with Nonna: Celebrate Food and Family with Over 100 Classic Recipes From Italian Grandmothers by Rossella Rago. Copies of the book can be borrowed from the library. This in-depth cookbook features Italian soups and salads, appetizers, desserts, breads, and, of course, pasta dishes. The author, Rossella Rago, is best known for her popular web TV series “Cooking with Nonna.” Cookbook Club attendees are encouraged to make a dish or two using the recipes from the featured book. Attendees are also welcome to bring one of the prepared recipes or a favorite Italian dish to share, but this is not required. Library staff will prepare one or two recipes from the book in advance and samples will be available for attendees to enjoy during the meeting. This meeting of the Cookbook Club is being held in memory of Eunice Pinto (1934-2025). Pinto, who was originally from the Bronx, New York, later lived in White Plains, New York, and Flower Mound, Texas, and was a family friend of the Morrison family of Gallipolis. According to her obituary, Pinto’s home was a “haven” and “her Italian cooking a love language.” The Cookbook Club is open to anyone age 18 and over who enjoys cooking! Meetings are held quarterly at the library.
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