The Greenfield Public Library welcomes local author Sarah Pirtle to discuss her novel, An Outbreak of Peace.

Sarah Pirtle’s novel takes place in Franklin County in the 1980’s. In 1987 it received a national award for outstanding book of the year on world peace and was reviewed in the LA Times and the Boston Globe. Now it returns expanded with local people — Juanita and Wally Nelson, Randy Kehler and Betsy Corner — as additional characters in the book.

An Outbreak of Peace reveals true local events along with a fictional plot; teenagers in West County ask their town meeting to vote to declare peace, meaning that everyone will choose something to do that helps build the community. 

In the book the village is named Larkspur but geographically it’s based on Conway. One of the intriguing aspects of the book are the 80 illustrations by local young people which are woven into the story. When Sarah traveled to NYC to receive the award she brought along one of the twenty young people who worked with her for four years on a project to draw hopes and fears for the future that morphed into the story. 

She is finding that adults like the book as much as young readers. For example, Mary Mosley from Ashfield, says:  "I'm blown away by this book. You make peace tangible and thinkable which is crucial in these times. I'm amazed at how much you understand young people. We come right in close to each character and care deeply about them. We need this book. Community heals the heart and soul and this story shows us how." 

Copies of her book will be available for purchase.

This program is free and open to the public.