Mark your calendars for April 22, 2023
Our 2023 selection is I Must Betray You by internationally acclaimed bestselling historical fiction author Ruta Sepetys, who is published in over 60 countries and 40 languages.
Main Event:
Join us for an evening with author Ruta Sepetys as she discusses this #1 New York Times and national bestseller.
When: Saturday, April 22, 2023
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Place: Lakeville Area Arts Center
Books will be available for sale and there will be a book signing following the event.
Tickets:
Tickets are required for this free event. Tickets will be available on February 14, 2023, at 8 a.m. at OneBook-OneLakeville.
We are pleased to offer a series of supporting events to enhance this year’s selection. Please visit the Calendar page to learn more.
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About the Book
I Must Betray You is a gut-wrenching, startling historical thriller about communist Romania and the citizen spy network that devastated a nation.
In this novel, master storyteller Ruta Sepetys examines the little-known history of a nation defined by silence, pain, and the unwavering conviction of the human spirit.
Romania, 1989
Communist regimes are crumbling across Europe. Seventeen-year-old Cristian Florescu dreams of becoming a writer, but Romanians aren’t free to dream; they are bound by rules and force.
Amidst the tyrannical dictatorship of Nicolae Ceaușescu in a country governed by isolation and fear, Cristian is blackmailed by the secret police to become an informer. He’s left with only two choices: betray everyone and everything he loves—or use his position to creatively undermine the most notoriously evil dictator in Eastern Europe.
Cristian risks everything to unmask the truth behind the regime, give voice to fellow Romanians, and expose to the world what is happening in his country. He eagerly joins the revolution to fight for change when the time arrives. But what is the cost of freedom?
About the author:
Ruta Sepetys is considered a “crossover” novelist as her books are read by both students and adults worldwide. Winner of the Carnegie Medal, Ruta is acclaimed for giving voice to underrepresented history and those who experienced it. Her books have won or been shortlisted for over forty book prizes, are included on over thirty state reading lists, and are currently in development for film and television. Her first novel, which chronicles the Soviet atrocities in Lithuania, has been adapted into the renowned major motion picture, Ashes in the Snow.
Ruta is the daughter of a Lithuanian refugee. Born in Michigan, she was raised in a family of artists, readers, and music lovers. Ruta is passionate about the power of history and story to foster global dialogue and connectivity. She has been invited to present at NATO, the European Parliament, the U.S. Capitol, the Library of Congress, and Embassies worldwide. She was awarded The Rockefeller Foundation’s prestigious Bellagio Fellowship for her studies on human resilience.
Ruta was recently bestowed the Cross of the Knight of the Order by the President of Lithuania for her contributions to education and memory preservation and was honored with a postage stamp containing her image. She is intensely proud to be Lithuanian, even if that means she has a name no one can pronounce (Rūta Šepetys). Ruta lives with her family in the hills of Tennessee.
About OneBook, OneLakeville
Entering its fifteenth year, OneBook OneLakeville promotes reading, literacy, and community interaction by engaging members of the Lakeville community in reading and discussing the same book.
OneBook OneLakeville sponsors:
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Green Mill Restaurant & Bar
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Rotary Club of Lakeville
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OneBook OneLakeville past selections
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