by Bob Kennemer
LA VETA — The La Veta Public Library’s 2018 Two Peaks One Book program committee invites the public to join in reading Kon-Tiki. There will be four provocative and interesting supplementary programs during February and March.
The 2018 Two Peaks One Book program will be the 13th in a series that has seen the La Veta/Cuchara community come together to discuss great books and great issues, ranging from Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 in 2007 to Bless Me, Ultima to last year’s I Heard the Owl Call my Name. The goal of the Two Peaks One Book program, which is to create community by bringing people together around a great work of literature, has succeeded year after year and become the most popular programming the LVPL offers.
The library also has suggestions for further related reading available for check out. Everyone is welcomed to participate in any or all of the events. Copies of Kon-Tiki are available free at the library.
Numerous communities in Colorado and around the nation have established similar reading programs. “The mission of the Two Peaks One Book program is to foster closer community dialogue and interaction among all ages by promoting the reading of a common book that has been considered over time to be a great work of literature,”
All scheduled events are free, open to the public, and are held at the LVPL. The events include the following (be sure to watch the World Journal as dates and times might change).
Thurs, Feb. 22, 4pm: Moderated book discussion.
Tue, Feb. 27, 4pm: Dr. Beth Russell, meteorologist with NOAA, will speak on the science of the wind, including its physiological and psychological effects.
Sun, Mar 4, 2pm: Dr. Ed Crowther, chair of Adams State University History Department, will present The Wind is no Muse: Gusts and Grit on Colorado’s Plains.
Thurs, Mar 8, 4pm: Kon-Tiki, movie screening.
Kon-Tiki is the record of an astonishing adventure – a journey of 4,300 nautical miles across the Pacific Ocean by raft. Intrigued by Polynesian folklore, biologist and author Thor Heyerdahl suspected that the South Sea Islands had been settled by an ancient race from thousands of miles to the east, led by a mythical hero, Kon-Tiki. He decided to prove his theory by duplicating the legendary voyage.
On April 28, 1947, Heyerdahl and five other adventurers sailed from Peru on a balsa log raft. After three months on the open sea, encountering raging storms, whales, and sharks, they sighted land–the Polynesian island of Puka Puka.
Translated into sixty-five languages, Kon-Tiki is a classic, inspiring tale of daring and courage–a magnificent saga of men against the sea.
Call the LVPL at 719-742-3572 for more information on the Two Peaks One Book program.
