Vermont Reads 2024: Gather

Ian is a resourceful teenager from rural Vermont. He isn’t supposed to have a dog, but his adopted pup Gather soon becomes a good friend. Although he hasn’t yet finished high school, Ian works hard to take care of his mother, who is trying to overcome her addiction to opioids. In between classes and other responsibilities, Ian helps his family make ends meet by fixing things for neighbors and working at a sawmill off the books. Sadly, he needed to quit the school’s basketball team to support his family.

Above all, Ian wants his family to remain on the land where they have lived for generations. But after a tragedy, he and Gather leave Vermont. Living on the run, Ian draws on his well-honed survival skills to care for himself and his dog. At the same time, a community of folks come together to try to provide a way home for Ian and Gather.

For the 22nd year of the Vermont Reads program, we invite Vermont communities to plan projects centered around Gather and its themes of rural life, resilience, class differences, addiction and recovery, housing and food insecurity, a deep relationship to the land, and the power of community.

EVENTS:

Gather: Discussion with Author, Kenneth Cadow

Join us for a talk from Gather author, Kenneth Cadow, as he discusses writing his book and the themes of Gather: poverty, education, community, housing security, land and a sense of place, and fixing things.  

Thursday, April 10, 5:30-7 PM | Community Room

Gather: Substance Misuse Prevention in Norwich

Conversation about drug misuse and harm reduction in Vermont, specific to our area, with VT Department of Health Prevention Consultant, Ella Harper-Schiehl.

Thursday, April 17, 6-7 PM | Community Room

Gather: A Bridge Across Our Two Vermonts

Vermont is not immune to issues like addiction, housing insecurity, and poverty. In recent years these overlapping problems have strained resources across the state, and can divide communities as they struggle to find solutions. Join Will Eberle as he explores how to surmount the effect of bias and stigma so we can improve the health, happiness, and sense of belonging for all Vermonters. 

Thursday, May 15, 6:30-8 PM | Community Room

Gather: Norwich Foraging Walk

Carolyn of Fresh And Foraged will lead a group on a walk from the library to the Norwich Nature Area, pointing out edible plants and fungi along the way.

Saturday, May 17, 10:30 AM-12 PM