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Image for event: A Conversation with Melanie Benjamin

A Conversation with Melanie Benjamin

In-Person

2024-03-21 19:00:00 2024-03-21 20:00:00 America/Chicago A Conversation with Melanie Benjamin The Urbana Free Library - Busey-Mills Reading Room

Thursday, March 21
7:00pm - 8:00pm

Add to Calendar 2024-03-21 19:00:00 2024-03-21 20:00:00 America/Chicago A Conversation with Melanie Benjamin Meet historical fiction author Melanie Benjamin as she discusses her newest novel California Golden and what inspires her. An audience Q&A and a book signing will follow the discussion. The Urbana Free Library - Busey-Mills Reading Room

The Urbana Free Library

Busey-Mills Reading Room

Meet historical fiction author Melanie Benjamin as she discusses her newest novel California Golden and what inspires her. An audience Q&A and a book signing will follow the discussion.

Set in the 1960s, Benjamin's latest novel, California Golden, focuses on sisters Mindy and Ginger who feel abandoned by their mother as she attempts to become one of the first female surfing legends. Feeling neglected and overlooked, the sisters start to search for communities of their own sending them down separate paths. While spotlighting motherhood, family, and generational trauma, the book also explores surf culture, Hollywood parties, and cults. Entertainment Weekly called it "A shimmering rendering . . . pairs the surf culture of the Beach Boys with the sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll of Daisy Jones & The Six. "

Melanie Benjamin is the author of The New York Times and USA Today bestselling historical novels The Swans of Fifth Avenue, about Truman Capote and his society swans, The Aviator’s Wife, a novel about Anne Morrow Lindbergh, and Mistress of the Ritz, based on the true story of the American woman who ran the Ritz during World War II, catering to the Nazi occupiers by day while working for the Resistance by night. Her novels have been translated in over fifteen languages, featured in national magazines such as Good HousekeepingPeople, and Entertainment Weekly, and optioned for film.

Melanie is a native of the Midwest, having grown up in Indianapolis, Indiana, where she pursued her first love, theater. After raising her two sons, Melanie, a life-long reader (including being the proud winner, two years in a row, of her hometown library’s summer reading program!), decided to pursue a writing career. After writing her own parenting column for a local magazine, and winning a short story contest, Melanie published two contemporary novels under her real name, Melanie Hauser, before turning to historical fiction.

This event is generously sponsored by The Urbana Free Library Foundation.

AGE GROUP: | Seniors | Adults |

EVENT TYPE: | Adult |

TAGS: | authors@UFL |

The Urbana Free Library

Phone: 217-367-4057

Hours
Mon, Mar 24 9:00AM to 9:00PM
Tue, Mar 25 9:00AM to 9:00PM
Wed, Mar 26 9:00AM to 9:00PM
Thu, Mar 27 9:00AM to 9:00PM
Fri, Mar 28 9:00AM to 6:00PM
Sat, Mar 29 9:00AM to 6:00PM
Sun, Mar 30 1:00PM to 5:00PM

About the library

Conveniently located at the corner of Race and Green in downtown Urbana.

Upcoming events

Mon, Mar 24, 9:30am - 11:30am
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Mon, Mar 24, 5:30pm - 7:30pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Satterthwaite Conference Room
Registration is now closed

Mon, Mar 24, 6:00pm - 7:00pm
The Urbana Free Library - MacFarlane-Hood Reading Room

Tue, Mar 25, 10:00am - 10:25am
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Tue, Mar 25, 3:00pm - 5:30pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Cancelled
Wed, Mar 26, 1:00pm - 3:00pm
The Urbana Free Library

Wed, Mar 26, 3:00pm - 5:30pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Thu, Mar 27, 10:00am - 10:30am
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Thu, Mar 27, 3:00pm - 5:30pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Fri, Mar 28, 11:00am - 12:00pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Sat, Mar 29, 10:00am - 11:00am
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Sun, Mar 30, 2:00pm - 3:00pm
The Urbana Free Library - Busey-Mills Reading Room

Sun, Mar 30, 3:00pm - 4:00pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium
This event is full

Mon, Mar 31, 9:30am - 11:30am
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Mon, Mar 31, 5:30pm - 7:30pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Satterthwaite Conference Room
Registration is now closed

Tue, Apr 01, All day
The Urbana Free Library - Children's Area

Tue, Apr 01, 6:00am - 7:00pm
The Urbana Free Library - MacFarlane-Hood Reading Room

Tue, Apr 01, 10:00am - 10:25am
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Tue, Apr 01, 3:00pm - 5:30pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Wed, Apr 02, 12:00pm - 1:00pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Satterthwaite Conference Room

Wed, Apr 02, 2:30pm - 4:20pm
Urbana Middle School

Wed, Apr 02, 3:00pm - 5:30pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Wed, Apr 02, 6:00pm - 7:00pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Thu, Apr 03, 10:00am - 10:30am
The Urbana Free Library - Children's Area

Thu, Apr 03, 3:00pm - 5:30pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Sat, Apr 05, 11:00am - 11:45am
The Urbana Free Library - Megan's Reading Room,The Lewis Auditorium

Sat, Apr 05, 3:00pm - 4:30pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Sat, Apr 05, 3:00pm - 3:45pm
The Urbana Free Library - Busey-Mills Reading Room,Library Gallery

Sun, Apr 06, 2:00pm - 3:00pm
The Urbana Free Library - Busey-Mills Reading Room

Mon, Apr 07, 9:30am - 11:30am
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Mon, Apr 07, 5:30pm - 7:30pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Satterthwaite Conference Room
Registration is now closed

Tue, Apr 08, 10:00am - 10:25am
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Tue, Apr 08, 3:00pm - 5:30pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Tue, Apr 08, 7:00pm - 9:00pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Tue, Apr 08, 7:00pm - 8:00pm
The Urbana Free Library - Online

Wed, Apr 09, 10:30am - 11:30am
Orchard Downs Preschool

Wed, Apr 09, 2:30pm - 4:20pm
Urbana Middle School

Wed, Apr 09, 3:00pm - 5:30pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Thu, Apr 10, 8:30am - 9:30am
Leal Elementary School

Thu, Apr 10, 10:00am - 10:30am
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Thu, Apr 10, 3:00pm - 5:30pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Thu, Apr 10, 7:00pm - 8:00pm
The Urbana Free Library - Online

Fri, Apr 11, 5:00pm - 8:00pm
The Urbana Free Library - Library

Sat, Apr 12, 11:00am - 12:00pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Sat, Apr 12, 2:00pm - 3:30pm
The Urbana Free Library - Busey-Mills Reading Room

Sat, Apr 12, 2:00pm - 3:00pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Sun, Apr 13, 1:30pm - 3:00pm
The Urbana Free Library - Busey-Mills Reading Room,Library Gallery

Sun, Apr 13, 2:00pm - 3:00pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Mon, Apr 14, 9:30am - 11:30am
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Mon, Apr 14, 1:00pm - 4:30pm
The Urbana Free Library

Mon, Apr 14, 5:30pm - 7:30pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Satterthwaite Conference Room
Registration is now closed

Tue, Apr 15, 10:00am - 10:25am
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Tue, Apr 15, 3:00pm - 5:30pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Tue, Apr 15, 6:00pm - 8:30pm
The Urbana Free Library - MacFarlane-Hood Reading Room

Tue, Apr 15, 6:30pm - 8:00pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Wed, Apr 16, 12:00pm - 1:00pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Satterthwaite Conference Room

Wed, Apr 16, 2:30pm - 4:20pm
Urbana Middle School

Wed, Apr 16, 3:00pm - 5:30pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Thu, Apr 17, 10:00am - 10:30am
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Thu, Apr 17, 3:00pm - 5:30pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Sat, Apr 19, 11:00am - 12:00pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Sun, Apr 20, All day
The Urbana Free Library

Mon, Apr 21, 9:30am - 11:30am
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Mon, Apr 21, 5:30pm - 7:30pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Satterthwaite Conference Room
Registration is now closed

Tue, Apr 22, 10:00am - 10:25am
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Tue, Apr 22, 3:00pm - 5:30pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Wed, Apr 23, 2:30pm - 4:20pm
Urbana Middle School

Wed, Apr 23, 3:00pm - 5:30pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium