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Carol Bodensteiner, who grew up on an Iowa dairy farm, writes about country hospitality, the county fair, milking cows, house chores, and other topics that resonate with people who grew up and live in the Midwest.
Recently, volunteer readers have been sharing Bodensteiner’s book, “Growing Up Country: Memories of an Iowa Farm Girl,” and leading discussions about childhood memories at 11 area retirement residences and care centers.
These discussions are part of a program Iowa City Hospice and the Iowa City Public Library have partnered on for the past three years. Volunteer readers read books out loud and then lead discussion intended to stimulate memories. So far this year, 14 volunteers have contributed more than 100 volunteer hours reading to more than 360 people.
The goals of the reading program are to:
• Make meaningful connections
• Help people reminisce
• Provide companionship and stimulation
As a part of this series, ICPL will host Bodensteiner for an author visit on Wednesday, Oct. 26, in Meeting Room A. Bodensteiner will discuss her book and invite participants to share their story of growing up in Iowa. She will also talk about how she came to write the stories and will read short selections from the book.
If you go:
What: Carol Bodensteiner Author Visit
When: 2-4 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 26
Where: Meeting Room A, ICPL
Free and open to the public. Books will be available for sale. Bodensteiner will sign books at the end of the program.
June Braverman, a volunteer reader and the person who originally proposed the program said, “We look forward to the opportunity to meet Carol Bodensteiner and talk about how her stories resonate with the people who attend the readings and discussions.”
Thoughts from another program volunteer:
“I pulled out a magazine-it was dated October 1968. At first, Bob didn’t seem interested and stood up. Then, I turned the page to pictures of different pickup trucks. Bob sat back down and looked at the pictures while I read the captions. Then, he turned to me and said, ‘I had a pickup just like that one.’ He had a smile on his face. We had made a meaningful connection.” – An Iowa City Hospice Volunteer
For more information, call the Fiction Desk at 319-356-5200, option 4.
