July 5, 2026
Guest Post by Charles Roussel, Library Board President
Summer is a great time to make new friends and reconnect with old ones. I’m re-reading my Louise Penny collection to reacquaint myself with old friends like Inspector Armand Gamache and the inhabitants of Three Pines, the fictional village in the Eastern Townships of Quebec. Penny’s fans, of which I know there are many at the West Falmouth Library, love her robustly nuanced and endearingly quirky characters as much as her intricate plots.
Why do well honed literary novels of all genres make such deep impressions on us as readers? Why do we continue to crave the company of the characters we meet in books we love long after we’ve closed the covers?
During a recent graduation speech at the University of Grenada, Margaret Atwood answered this question well. “A literary novel, we are told by neurologists, is the closest, in terms of brain activity, that you will ever come to being inside another’s person’s mind, heart, and soul.”
So, the answer is, we crave deep connection. We want to know that we are not alone in thinking the way we do, wanting what we want, and acting the way we act. We see ourselves reflected in the emotional struggles and triumphs of our favorite characters. Readings helps us gain perspective and become better versions of ourselves. While a solitary pursuit, reading may be one of the most socially conscious things we can do.
Summer is a great time to make new friends and reconnect with old ones. Come join us, pick up a book, curl up in a corner, or grab one for the beach and see yourself in a whole new light.
Charles
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