Events

Friday, August 24th at 6pm Bartleby’s Books hosts Nichole Bernier for an evening reading and discussion of her new novel, THE UNFINISHED WORK OF ELIZABETH D.    Bernier’s dazzling debut is a thoughtful exploration of the struggle ofr identity women face as they become wives and mothers.  When Elizabeth Martin dies suddenly, leaving behind a legacy of private diaries, her best friend realizes she didn’t know her confidante as well as the thought – including where Elizabeth was really going when she died.  Set the anxious summer after September 11th, this story a women’s friendship considers the fine line between privacy and deception and the measures one woman took to protect her sense of self.   Nearly a year after Kate lost Elizabeth in a tragic accident, fear and anxiety have filled the cracks of her daily life.  Kate stays at home with her two children, her career as a pastry chef on the back burner, and hoards emergency supplies in the back of her SUV while masking her distress from her often-absent husband.  Summer vacation on Great Rock Island should have been a restorative time, but Kate’s problems accompany her in the form of Elizabeth’s diaries – decades of musings and secrets locked tight in a trunk she willed to Kate, not to her own husband.  Armed with only one direction –“Start at the beginning”- Kate begins reading, but finds the journals reveal a woman far different than the cheerful wife and mother Kate thought she knew.  When a mysterious man’s name leads Kate to discover the truth behind Elizabeth’s death, she is challenged to rethink her own choices and the personal legacy she would want to leave behind.   Bernier’s deft touch brings to life this poignant exploration of women’s friendship.  Examining the age-old arts of sacrifice and secrecy in the modern era of competitive mothering, the book sheds light on the vast differences between our private lives and public persona.  Richly imagined and brilliantly executed, THE UNFINISHED WORK OF ELIAZABETH D. is a welcome addition to the “educated women’s lit” canon, in the tradition of J. Courtney Sullivan and Dani Shapiro.   Nichole Bernier is a writer for magazines including Elle, SELF, Health, and Boston Magazine, and a longtime contributing editor with Conde Nast Traveler, where she was previously on staff as a columnist, golf and ski editor, and television spokesperson.  She is a founder of the literary website BeyondTheMargins.com, and lives outside Boston with her husband and five children.  Don’t miss the opportunity to meet Nichole Bernier at Bartleby’s Books.  The event is free and open to the public.  Bartleby’s Books is located at 17 West Main Street right in the heart of downtown Wilmington, VT.  For questions or to reserve a copy of the book call 802-464-5425, email bartbook@sover.net, or visit Bartleby’s online at myvermontbookstore.com.