(205) 444-7800 Mon - Thu 9-9, Fri 9-6, Sat 10-6, Sun 1-5
Bring a friend and join us to discuss The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead. Our book groups are a fun way to delve deeper into your love of literature by sharing it with others! Refreshments included.
As the Civil Rights movement begins to reach the black enclave of Frenchtown in segregated Tallahassee, Elwood Curtis takes the words of Dr. Martin Luther King to heart: He is "as good as anyone." Abandoned by his parents, but kept on the straight and narrow by his grandmother, Elwood is about to enroll in the local black college. But for a black boy in the Jim Crow South of the early 1960s, one innocent mistake is enough to destroy the future. Elwood is sentenced to a juvenile reformatory called the Nickel Academy, whose mission statement says it provides "physical, intellectual and moral training" so the delinquent boys in their charge can become "honorable and honest men."
In reality, the Nickel Academy is a grotesque chamber of horrors where the sadistic staff beats and sexually abuses the students, corrupt officials and locals steal food and supplies, and any boy who resists is likely to disappear "out back." Stunned to find himself in such a vicious environment, Elwood tries to hold on to Dr. King's ringing assertion "Throw us in jail and we will still love you." His friend Turner thinks Elwood is worse than naive, that the world is crooked and the only way to survive is to scheme and avoid trouble. The tension between Elwood's ideals and Turner's skepticism leads to a decision whose repercussions will echo down the decades. Formed in the crucible of the evils Jim Crow wrought, the boys' fates will be determined by what they endured at The Nickel Academy.
Based on the real story of a reform school in Florida that operated for one hundred and eleven years and warped the lives of thousands of children, The Nickel Boys is a devastating, driven narrative that showcases a great American novelist writing at the height of his powers.
Mon, Apr 15 | 9:00AM to 9:00PM |
Tue, Apr 16 | 9:00AM to 9:00PM |
Wed, Apr 17 | 9:00AM to 9:00PM |
Thu, Apr 18 | 9:00AM to 9:00PM |
Fri, Apr 19 | 9:00AM to 6:00PM |
Sat, Apr 20 | 10:00AM to 6:00PM |
Sun, Apr 21 | 1:00PM to 5:00PM |
Located in Hoover, Alabama, at 200 Municipal Drive, the Hoover Public Library has been operating since 1983. The Hoover Public Library seeks to reinvent the way communities view libraries. As the heart and soul of the Hoover community, we are more than just a library. We’re the place you come to meet your friends, experience live theater, peruse art, listen to music, entertain your children, learn about new technology, seek job searching assistance, explore your interests, find good book recommendations and much, much more. We seek to grow our patronage by offering an unparalleled customer experience.
Hoover Public Library • 200 Municipal Drive, Hoover, AL 35216
(205)444-7800 / Mon - Thu 9-9 / Fri 9-6 / Sat 10-6 / Sun 1-5
Please check our holiday calendar for specific date information. more →
Any resident of Hoover or Jefferson County can get a library card free of charge. more →