Reality Readers Book Club - Dunn

Join fellow readers for lively discussions and thoughtful conversations at our Non-Fiction Book Club! Each month, we explore a new non-fiction titles ranging from memoirs and biographies to history, science, and social issues. This group offers a welcoming space for curious minds to share perspectives, learn from one another, and engage with real-world topics through great books.

This month we're reading:

The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America

By: Erik Larson

Author Erik Larson imbues the incredible events surrounding the 1893 Chicago World's Fair with such drama that readers may find themselves checking the book's categorization to be sure that 'The Devil in the White City' is not, in fact, a highly imaginative novel. Larson tells the stories of two men: Daniel H. Burnham, the architect responsible for the fair's construction, and H.H. Holmes, a serial killer masquerading as a charming doctor. Burnham's challenge was immense. In a short period of time, he was forced to overcome the death of his partner and numerous other obstacles to construct the famous "White City" around which the fair was built. His efforts to complete the project, and the fair's incredible success, are skillfully related along with entertaining appearances by such notables as Buffalo Bill Cody, Susan B. Anthony, and Thomas Edison. The activities of the sinister Dr. Holmes, who is believed to be responsible for scores of murders around the time of the fair, are equally remarkable. He devised and erected the World's Fair Hotel, complete with crematorium and gas chamber, near the fairgrounds and used the event as well as his own charismatic personality to lure victims. Combining the stories of an architect and a killer in one book, mostly in alternating chapters, seems like an odd choice but it works. The magical appeal and horrifying dark side of 19th-century Chicago are both revealed through Larson's skillful writing. - John Moe

Copies of each month’s selection are available for checkout at the circulation desk. Come ready to reflect and connect!

Wednesday, October 21 | 5 – 6 p.m. | Adults

📍Dunn Library: 110 E Divine St. Dunn

❎No Registration Required - Seats available on a first-come basis

Community event in Coats, Harnett County, NC 27521.