Only 5 days until summer programming begins at the Library. “Adventure Begins at the Library” is the theme for summerprogrammingandsummer reading that is being used by libraries across the country during Summer 2024.

The 2024 One Book South Dakota is “Little and Often”, a Memoir, written by Trent Preszler. Preszler thought he was living his dream life, with a job at a winery and a seaside Long Island home, when his cancer-stricken father invited him to South Dakota for Thanksgiving. After years of estrangement, it would be the last time he saw his father alive.

Preszler’s only inheritance was a toolbox that had belonged to his father, who was a cattle rancher, rodeo champion, and decorated Vietnam War veteran. Preszler found himself devastated by things left unsaid, and in his grief, he had an epiphany. With no experience or training, driven only by blind will, he decided to build a wooden canoe, and he would aim to paddle it on the first anniversary of his father’s death.

The grueling challenges of boatbuilding tested Preszler’s limits and forced him to reconsider his father’s legacy and his own struggle for self-respect. Gradually, he learned that working with his hands offered a new perspective on life, and the means to change it.

“Little and Often” is an unflinching account of bereavement, a stirring reflection on inheritance and a timeless testament to the healing power of creativity.

The Library Book Club is currently reading the 2024 One Book SD which is loaned to the Lake Andes Library through the South Dakota Humanities Council. There are a few extra copies if anyone would like to check out and read the book at this time.