October Selection: Contending Forces by Pauline Hopkins

Three Cambridge Public Library branches will be reading Contending Forces by Pauline Hopkins in the month of October in partnership with History Cambridge. Pauline Hopkins was an American novelist, journalist, playwright, historian, an editor who resided in Cambridge until her death in 1930.

From Wikipedia: “Contending Forces focuses on African American families in post-Civil War American society. Hopkins, a child of free parents of color, imprinted her "own evasive and unsettling maternal family history, which linked her to the Atlantic slave trade, the West Indies, and the American South",^[1] providing a vivid portrayal of the shared struggles endured by both enslaved and free individuals during that time period.”

About History Cambridge:
“History is so much more than just a list of events that happened. We dig deeper to uncover the knowledge that everyone in this city holds a piece of. By weaving that knowledge together we can explore how the past influences the present—and use what we learn to shape a more just future.Amateur historians, social butterflies, the civically minded, the culturally curious, activists, authors, local hosts, out-of-town visitors, lifelong residents, and new neighbors: we’re all a part of Cambridge’s story.”

Print copies are available for pickup at the O'Neill Branch Library. Access to the audiobook can be found at https://librivox.org/contending-forces-by-pauline-elizabeth-hopkins/ and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYga8RJR494

For any further information, please contact Emily Hurley at ehurley@cambridgema.gov