In honor of the Weinstein JCC’s Diversity & Inclusion Festival, the book, “The Thread Collectors” by Alyson Richman and Shaunna J. Edwards, has been chosen as a Community Read.
The “Thread Collectors” is a novel of historical fiction about men and women, both Black and white, free and enslaved, that takes place during the brutal U.S. Civil War.
Two women risk everything for love and freedom as their paths converge in New Orleans where an unexpected encounter leads them to discover that even the most delicate threads have the capacity to save us.
Although this is a work of fiction, many of the characters are actually inspired by the authors’ family histories. Edwards modeled the character of Stella, a multiracial enslaved person, after the life of her distant aunt. Richman’s ancestors include two Jewish brothers who fought on opposite sides of the war, just like Jacob and Samuel in the novel.
On Wednesday, Feb. 8 at 7 p.m. via Zoom, the community is invited to attend a virtual event with the co-authors as they discuss the book and its central themes.
This is a first novel for Edwards, a trained corporate lawyer who now works in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. This is the eighth novel for Richman, a “USA Today” bestselling and #1 international bestselling author of several historical novels including “The Velvet Hours,” “The Garden of Letters,” and “The Lost Wife,” which is currently in development for a major motion picture
Limited copies of The Thread Collectors will be available for purchase at the Weinstein JCC.
The virtual event is free and open to the community. RSVP at weinsteinjcc.org to receive a Zoom link to attend the event.
