Contemporary Book Club Discussion and Author Visit: “The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna” by Juliet Grames-Monday, October 21 from 2pm – 4pm (DeMayo room)

Join Hagaman Library’s contemporary fiction discussion group! Discuss popular adult fiction novels!  This book club is facilitated by Cynthia Gwiazda, Community Services Librarian. On Monday, October 21 at 2:00 p.m., the group will discuss the national and international bestselling novel, The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna  by Juliet Grames. The discussion will be followed by a visit from the author herself at 3:00 p.m.! Book club members will have a chance to ask the author questions and a lively discussion will follow! Bring your favorite Italian recipe to share as we celebrate Italian Heritage Month!

The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna is a fictional novel by Juliet Grames that explores the life of her grandmother, Stella Fortuna, and her near-death experiences. The novel includes:

  • Stella’s childhood, which is full of strange and life-threatening events
  • Her grandmother’s life, including emigrating from Southern Italy to America, having an accident, and suffering a traumatic brain injury
  • Stella’s fight against her own fate, including her near-death experiences, such as:
    • Severe burns from cooking oil
    • An attack by a hungry pig
    • Almost dying in childbirth
    • Falling down basement steps at the age of 68
    • Learning that her survival is worthless without her independence

We will have a drawing for a chance to win two copies of Juliet Grames’s new book, The Lost Boy of Santa Chionia!

Hagaman Memorial Library’s book discussion groups are free and open to everyone. To sign-up to attend this discussion and to order a copy of the book, please contact Cynthia at cgwiazda@hagamanlibrary.org.

Extra parking for evening and weekend library events is available in the East Haven Town Hall parking lot on 250 Main Street (across the street from the library), in the KeyBank parking lot next to the library (after 12:00 p.m. on Saturdays and after 5:00 p.m. on weekdays) and in the Stop and Shop lot behind the library, accessible from Messina Drive.