Richland Library Main
Meet the Authors: Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray
Friday, June 30, 2023 7:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
The two acclaimed authors of The Personal Librarian again visit Richland Library to share their new book The First Ladies - released by Penguin Random House on June 27.
The First Ladies tells a story of the very real, yet unlikely relationship between First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and civil rights activist and South Carolinian Mary McLeod Bethune. During this free event, the authors will talk about the book and how their relationship helped guide them to tell the story of the two important women. Following the talk, the authors will sign books and All Good Books will have copies of The First Ladies available for purchase.
This event is after hours and is free and open to the public. To live stream the event from our YouTube Channel, please follow this link.
An ASL interpreter will be provided for this event.
Richland Library Friends + Foundation Meet & Greet
For those that wish to have an opportunity to spend more time with the authors, the Richland Library Friends + Foundation will host a pre-event Meet & Greet with Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray. More information is available on the Friends + Foundation Eventbrite. Please note that ticket sales will end at 11:59 p.m. on June 28. Tickets will not be sold at the door.
About the Book
"The daughter of formerly enslaved parents, Mary McLeod Bethune refuses to back down as white supremacists attempt to thwart her work. She marches on as an activist and an educator, and as her reputation grows she becomes a celebrity, revered by titans of business and recognized by U.S. Presidents. Eleanor Roosevelt herself is awestruck and eager to make her acquaintance. Initially drawn together because of their shared belief in women’s rights and the power of education, Mary and Eleanor become fast friends confiding their secrets, hopes and dreams—and holding each other’s hands through tragedy and triumph.
When Franklin Delano Roosevelt is elected president, the two women begin to collaborate more closely, particularly as Eleanor moves toward her own agenda separate from FDR, a consequence of the devastating discovery of her husband’s secret love affair. Eleanor becomes a controversial First Lady for her outspokenness, particularly on civil rights. And when she receives threats because of her strong ties to Mary, it only fuels the women’s desire to fight together for justice and equality.
This is the story of two different, yet equally formidable, passionate, and committed women, and the way in which their singular friendship helped form the foundation for the modern civil rights movement." - from Penguin Random House
About the Authors
Marie Benedict is a lawyer with more than ten years’ experience as a litigator. A graduate of Boston College and the Boston University School of Law, she is the New York Times and USAToday bestselling author of The Only Woman in the Room, The Mystery of Mrs. Christie, Carnegie’s Maid, The Other Einstein, and Lady Clementine. All have been translated into multiple languages. She lives in Pittsburgh with her family.
Victoria Christopher Murray is an acclaimed author with more than one million books in print. She has written more than twenty novels, including Stand Your Ground, a NAACP Image Award Winner for Outstanding Fiction and a Library Journal Best Book of the Year. She holds an MBA from the NYU Stern School of Business.