It was a treat to meet not just one, but two terrific authors at Harper Library on April 8 th.
First time novelist Gary Brown captivated us with an honest, and often funny, account of
his journey from first draft to finished product. Although the story of What He Was Born
to Do had been percolating in his mind for years, the arduous process of getting it all
down on paper (he meant this literally – Brown does not use a computer!) proved to be
a major challenge. Unhappy with his first attempt, Brown put the story aside for about
five years, before receiving encouragement from a friend who agreed to help him with
editing. After many rounds of revisions, and many struggles with the ending, he
completed the novel in 2024, leaving it up to the reader to decide what happened.
You have to read it for yourself!
Roger Anderson captured our imaginations as he told us about his book, An
Immigrant’s Journey, based on his grandfather’s solo journey from Norway to the United
States at the age of just 16! Anderson told us how he used letters, journals, and first-
hand accounts from relatives to build an accurate timeline of his grandfather’s life. He
then “filled in some blanks” to create a story of determination, adventure and opportunity
in America during a time of heavy European immigration at the start of the twentieth
century.
Although Brown’s book was fiction and Anderson’s was non-fiction, FOLSOI moderator
Deb Humbertson noted the similarities between the two main characters – both young
boys resolved to finding their way on their own in a tough world.
What He Was Born to Do and An Immigrant’s Journey are available in our library
system.