Author Discussion with Alyson Richman - In-person lecture

Bestselling author Alyson Richman will talk about her latest book, The Thread Collectors, a historical novel co-written with Shaunna J. Edwards.  Set in 1863 in a small Creole cottage in New Orleans, an ingenious young Black woman named Stella embroiders intricate maps on repurposed cloth to help enslaved men flee and join the Union Army. Meanwhile, in New York City, a Jewish woman named Lily stitches a quilt for her husband, who is stationed in Louisiana with the Union Army. But when months go by without word from her husband, Lily resolves to make the perilous journey South to search for him. As these two women risk everything for love and freedom during the brutal Civil War, their paths converge in New Orleans, where an unexpected encounter leads them to discover that even the most delicate threads have the capacity to save us. Loosely inspired by the authors' family histories, this stunning novel will stay with readers for a long time. Richman will explain the inside story of how they created their novel and share a slide presentation that highlights the research behind the book.