Author of Mudbound, a story of two families ― one black, one white ― living in Jim Crow-era Mississippi, and When She Woke, a dystopian thriller, Hillary Jordan will share about her life and work as a writer, followed by a book signing.

Recently released as a Netflix movie garnering 4 Oscar nominations, Mudbound was awarded the 2006 Bellwether Prize, founded by Barbara Kingsolver to recognize socially conscious fiction as well as a 2009 Alex Award from the American Library Association. Kingsolver said “This is storytelling at the height of its powers…Hillary Jordan writes with the force of a delta storm.”

ABOUT THE PRESENTATION

Tuesday, May 1

Cost: Tickets are $10 per person

6pm | Doors open and seating begins

Location: Westerville Central High School auditorium

Address: 7118 Mt Royal Ave, Westerville, OH 43082

Seats are assigned based on best available at time of order.

7pm | Author talk

Follow along with the Meet the Authors series, hashtag #wplauthors.

7:45pm | Audience Q&A

8pm | Book signing & sale

Guests will be released for the book signing by row, continuing from front to back. Limit of 3 books per person.

Accommodations can be made in advance for guests with disabilities. For more information, contact the Program Office at 614-882-7277 ext. 5023 or programoffice@westervillelibrary.org.

ABOUT THE BOOK

In the winter of 1946, Henry McAllen moves his wife, Laura, from their comfortable home in Memphis to a remote cotton farm in the Mississippi Delta, a place she finds both foreign and frightening. While Henry works the land he loves, Laura struggles to raise their two young daughters in a rude shack with no indoor plumbing or electricity, under the eye of her hateful, racist father-in-law. When it rains, the waters rise up and swallow the bridge to town, stranding the family in a sea of mud.

As the McAllans are being tested in every way, two celebrated soldiers of World War II return home to the Delta. Jamie McAllan is everything his older brother Henry is not: charming, handsome and sensitive to Laura’s plight, but also haunted by his memories of combat. Ronsel Jackson, eldest son of the black tenant farmers who live on the McAllan farm, comes home from fighting the Nazis with the shine of a war hero, only to face far more personal—and dangerous—battles against the ingrained bigotry of his own countrymen. It is the unlikely friendship of these two brothers-in-arms, and the passions they arouse in others, that drive this powerful debut novel.

Fierce, unflinching and deeply human, Mudbound is told in riveting personal narratives by the individual members of the McAllan and Jackson families. As they strive for love and honor in a brutal time and place, they become players in a tragedy on the grandest scale.

A film adaptation premiered on Netflix in November 2017, directed by Dee Rees and starring Carey Mulligan, Garrett Hedlund, Mary J. Blige, and Jason Clarke. Rolling Stone called it “a stunning achievement”: “a fiercely intimate epic about poverty, racism, violence and a divided America.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

When she's not scribbling away, Hillary teaches the occasional writing workshop and gives talks at colleges, literary festivals and community libraries. She has a BA from Wellesley College and an MFA in Creative Writing from Columbia University. She grew up in Dallas, TX and Muskogee, OK and currently lives in Brooklyn, along with half the writers in America.

ABOUT THE SERIES

To inspire readers and writers and to encourage the love of reading, the Westerville Public Library (often in partnership with the Westerville Library Foundation) has committed to bringing engaging and inspiring authors to the Westerville and Central Ohio community.

View highlights from past events via the slideshow below or read more about the series.

FAQs

Which books will be available for purchase?

Copies of Mudbound and When She Woke will be available for purchase and signing. While supplies last.  

Is there a limit to the number of tickets I can order?

Yes, you can order 10 tickets of each ticket type per order/transaction.

If you would like to order tickets for a book group greater than 10 people, please call 614-882-7277 ext. 5023 or email programoffice@westervillelibrary.org.

Can I get a ticket at the door? 

If the event is not yet full, you may get a ticket onsite. Please know that there are a limited number of seats and that ticket availability may be limited. No entry is allowed without a ticket.

Can I choose my seat? 

No. Seats are assigned at the time of the order based on best available.

If you wish to sit together with other members of your party, you must order your tickets together.

Guests with disabilities can contact the Program Office to request tickets with handicap-accessible seating or to request any other necessary accommodations: 614-882-7277 ext. 5023 or programoffice@westervillelibrary.org.

My party and I wish to order tickets separately. Can we sit together?

Seats are assigned at the time of order based on best available. If you wish to sit together with other members of your party, you must order your tickets together.

Can accommodations be made for guests with disabilities?

Yes. Contact the Program Office to request tickets with handicap-accessible seating or to request any other necessary accommodations: 614-882-7277 ext. 5023 or programoffice@westervillelibrary.org.

I plan to attend this event with my child. Should I order a ticket for both of us?

You must order a ticket for any child occupying a seat in the auditorium. However, you may attend with one child under 2 years old in your lap without acquiring an extra ticket.

What is your refund policy?

At this time, we are unable to offer a refund. All sales are final.

Do I have to bring my printed ticket to the event?

You must show either a printed ticket or your ticket on a mobile device.

What time does seating begin?

Doors open and seating begins at 6pm. 

How does the book signing work? 

Everyone will have the opportunity to participate in the book signing. Guests will be released by row, continuing from front to back. 

Books will be available at a sale hosted by the Westerville Library Foundation. Guests are also welcome to bring personal copies for signing. Limit of 3 books per guest.

"Action" photos of you having your book signed by the author are welcome. If time allows, posed photos may be requested after the book signing is completed.

Please note that the book signings may take some time. These are large events and the author is given the opportunity to interact with guests as they choose, so lines may be long.

Can I get my book signed without purchasing a ticket?

No. To be eligible for the book signing, you must have a ticket to the event.

When and where can I purchase books and what forms of payment will be accepted?

The book sale hosted by the Westerville Library Foundation will be located in the common area outside the auditorium. Credit card, check and cash payments are accepted. The book sale will remain open during the presentation and will continue afterward based upon demand and book availability. The book sale is a fundraiser for the Westerville Library Foundation.

At the conclusion of the author's presentation, feel free to exit the auditorium to make book purchases. Or, once you are released for the book signing, let a staff member know you'd like to purchase a book and we'll hold your spot in line.

Please note that the number of books for sale is limited, and the Foundation may sell out. If you wish to ensure that you have a copy of the book for signing, you are welcome to bring your personal copy.

Does this event have an official hashtag?

Yes! Follow along or share your experiences with the Meet the Authors series, hashtag: #wplauthors.

Does the library host other author events?

Yes! To inspire readers and writers and to encourage the love of reading, the Westerville Public Library (often in partnership with the Westerville Library Foundation) has committed to bringing engaging and inspiring authors to the Westerville and Central Ohio community via the Meet the Authors series. Learn more.

Where can I contact the organizer with any questions?

Contact the Program Office at 614-882-7277 ext. 5023 or programoffice@westervillelibrary.org.