The Great Divorce is my favorite C.S. Lewis book. I’ve read it once a year for decades and always find something new challenge or inspiration in its pages. I’d read my original paperback so many times the cover fell off, then the binding broke and I had to buy a new one last year. I have a few other books I return to regularly for a variety of reasons – 44 Scotland Street series and Time is Whispering for comfort; The Light Princess for reminding me of the heart of giving; Cheaper by the Dozen and Lady Susan for guaranteed uproarious laughter; The Pig of Happiness for a quick perspective refocus; Raymond and I to help me keep my eyes on the goal. Some books, like Oliver Wendall Holmes’ Poetry anthology, improve my mood just by holding the lovely cover.

Books help us understand people and communities we don’t know. They tell us stories we didn’t realize matter. They give us chance to get outside our own prejudices and presuppositions and examine the world from a different place.

Our family’s appreciation of books is evident to whoever enters our home’s Red Room – a treasure trove of the works that have inspired and shaped the Kahlers. It’s kind of like a sneak peak into our interests and even our souls.

This Saturday, January 25, will bring us the first Booksville Festival. About 20 volunteers have been laboring for almost a year to bring the event to life. But why the effort and interest?

Books serve so many roles in the life of any reader – they can educate, inspire, challenge, correct errors in knowledge, grow our imagination, and train our brain in deductive thinking. They can reduce us to tears of joy or pain, make us face difficult realities, and present us with ethical challenges. They teach us about our past, giving us the chance to improve our present and future.

As we bring over 50 local authors together in Brooksville this weekend, you’ll hear them read, see some attendees dressed up as their favorite book character, learn book trivia, watch kids participate in a spelling bee, and be inspired by vendors who’ve taken their love of books and turned it into a variety of artisan businesses. Whether or not you can attend the festival, check out our Facebook page to read bios of the many talented writers that call this place home.

Some authors will interest you and others won’t at all. That’s part of what makes the literary world so powerful. Like any other artist, authors share out of their soul, connecting to readers whose souls need that particular encouragement, inspiration or challenge.

Understanding the power of books is what inspired the GFWC Brooksville Woman’s Club over 100 years ago to start our county’s first library. In fact, GFWC clubs started at least 474 libraries and 4655 traveling libraries.¹ Our Brooksville club is proud to have done both, and as we celebrate our 115th year since our 1910 founding, it only made sense to honor that anniversary with this festival.

We hope to see you on Main Street from 10-3 as we celebrate the power and joy of literature. May it increase your thirst for truth and knowledge.

Natalie
GFWC Historic Brooksville Woman’s Club President

1. https://www.gfwc.org/education-libraries/ ↩︎