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Ligonier Valley Historical Society
1386 Route 30, East
PO Box 167
Laughlintown, PA 15655
P: 724-238-6818
E: tgrohall@compassinn.org
F: 724-238-3968
Website: www.compassinn.org
Author Louis Bayard Eager to Return for Another Book Club at
Compass Inn Museum in Laughlintown
For immediate release March 2, 2022
Looking for another way to dodge cabin fever and enjoy an afternoon of engaging conversation during these last few weeks of winter in Ligonier? Then we have a fun event for you on Thursday, March 23 at 1 PM. “Ligonier Valley Historical Society thoroughly enjoyed hosting author Louis Bayard via Zoom for our first-ever in-person historical fiction book club last month. The book club participants and the author had an interesting, dynamic discussion about The Pale Blue Eye novel and movie, everyday life in 1830s America, Edgar Allan Poe, and more! We’re happy to continue hosting the book club, this time talking about another historical thriller written by Bayard titled Mr. Timothy, a fictional spin on Dickens’ A Christmas Carol,” says Theresa Gay Rohall, Executive Director of Ligonier Valley Historical Society.
Here is a quick plot summary of this month’s book club historical thriller novel: Timothy Cratchit walks down the dark cobblestone streets of 1860s London after burying his father, Bob Cratchit. He feels lost, fighting with his past of being crippled and his attempt to cut his financial ties to “Uncle” Ebenezer Scrooge by getting lost in the bustling, dark alley ways, brothels, and shadowy spaces in 19th-century London. When “Tiny Tim all grown-up” discovers the bodies of two dead girls in the cold waters of the Thames River, his life direction is changed. Timothy Cratchit takes on the role of protector to a young girl named Philomela, ensuring that she does not suffer the fate of the two girls found in the river. With all the novel’s plot twists and turns, Bayard keeps readers guessing in this Christmas mystery thriller until the very end of the novel.
Bayard noted in Compass Inn Museum’s The Pale Blue Eye book club last month that Dickens was his favorite author growing up as child. Admiring Dickens’ works, especially A Christmas Carol, led him to write Mr. Timothy, a character study and mystery thriller of Tiny Tim as an adult. The reviews for Bayard’s 2003 historical fiction novel rate the book as excellent. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution wrote, “This mix of thriller and literature is as rich as a Christmas cake…a spirited adventure.” Entertainment Weekly noted, “There isn’t one throwaway sentence in this fabulous Victorian mystery…a subtle character examination and a page-turning plot.” People magazine named Mr. Timothy one of the Top 10 Books of 2003, calling the novel, “A dazzling blend of literary fiction and white-knuckle thriller.”
Copies of the book can be found at Ligonier Valley Library. There are two copies of Mr. Timothy available through the Westmoreland Library Network. The book is also available for ordering from the author’s website (https://www.louisbayard.com/mr-timothy) through vendors such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org, Indiebound, and Apple Books.
The Historical Society will hold the book club meeting in the Common Room of Compass Inn Museum. Light refreshments will be provided during the meeting. Tickets are $15 for members of LVHS and $20 for non-members. The book club is limited to the first 25 participants. Advance registration is required for this event. Registration can be found at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mr-timothy-book-club-featuring-author-louis-bayard-tickets-565128333057
Book club participants may submit questions for the author that can be asked during the event. These questions will be accepted until Wednesay, March 22 at 5 PM. Any questions about this event can be directed to sarapaterson@compassinn.org or 724-238-4983.
Photos attached below
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