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22 | SUN LAKES LIFESTYLES | OCTOBER 2018 | Library Advisory Committee Bingo Advisory Committee Happy fall, everyone! Still some warm days but the chilly nights are starting, leaves turning color — you know what that means. Did Sun Lakes' book lovers achieve their summer reading goals? I really did, including a couple of audio books from our library for our trip to the Grand Canyon (the Audio book glass cabinet is open for users to borrow from – no lock! Return the CDs to wooden receptacle). A good thriller really made the drive fly by. Please mark your calendars for our next book sale on Nov. 3 from 9 am to 1 pm. We will have a little bit of everything and as always, thanks to our library supporters. Sept. 28 is the day Willa Cather's most loved book, My Antonia was published. Willa was born Dec. 7, 1873 in West Virginia. At nine her father moved the family to Nebraska; her grandparents sent news about successful farming in the rich plains soil. Her dad tried farming for two years but decided his prospects were better in business, moving the family to a railroad town, Red Cloud. Willa was deeply moved by the dramatic environment and weather of Nebraska, by the various cultures of the European immigrants and Native American families she encountered. A smart and energetic student at the local school she soon started to write poems and essays. Willa became friends with a local Jewish family who offered her access to their extensive library. She was first published in the local paper. She went to University of Nebraska, switched from Biology to English and worked on the student newspaper. Her essay on Thomas Carlyle was accepted to be published in the Nebraska State Journal. A little after graduation she received a job offer in magazine editing and publishing in Pittsburgh. Other offers followed, she moved to NYC but in 1912 she left this work to become a full time writer. My Antonia, which dug deep into her Nebraska and pioneers' roots, was published in 1918. Many people love the lives of the hopeful but struggling immigrants and the main character Jim who loves and respects his neighbor Antonia, while realizing that their lives are probably not destined to join. He visits her many years later, meets her husband and children, is warmed by their closeness, happy that she ended up this way. On the way back to town he is surprised to recognize the path that leads to his grandparents' home, what he considers to be his "road to destiny." Willa won the Pulitzer Prize for One of Ours, set in WWI. She used her cousin's letters from France, as well as interviewing veterans and wounded soldiers in hospitals in Canada and the US. She also visited French battlefields. Claude Wheeler is the son of a successful Nebraska farmer and an overly pious mother. In Nebraska, although a talented farmer, he is disappointed searching for meaning in his life. Claude has a quintessential American restlessness. Family needs pull him back from college and he does not find happiness in his marriage. He is in despair when stories of WWI come to their town and he sees a possible refuge in service to his country. In bloody and endless battles, his wartime service and military friendships give his life meaning. He dies in an overwhelming German attack. There will be four Bingos this month. They will be held on Oct. 9, 16, 23 and 30. Come join us on Oct. 30 for an early Halloween celebration. Come in costume if you want. We are a fun group! We always have enough seating. For as little as $7 you can play ALL the games and win up to $500. In July BINGO donated $100 to the Women 4 Hope. We have fun, we give to charity, and we socialize with our friends and neighbors so join the fun and maybe make some extra cash. Hope to see you! Bingo is dark the first Tuesday of each month. Need more information? Call Anne at 845-8700.