Gather is the Vermont Reads book of the year, and we have 75 books to give out to people in Craftsbury. Pick a book up at the Craftsbury Public Library or Simpson Library, read it, then pass along to anyone else you think might appreciate it.  The author, Kenneth Cadow, will join us at the Craftsbury Public Library on Sunday, August 11, at 6pm for a book discussion.

About the book: Ian Gray isn’t supposed to have a dog, but a lot of things that shouldn’t happen end up happening anyway. And Gather, Ian’s adopted pup, is good company now that Ian has to quit the basketball team, find a job, and take care of his mom as she tries to overcome her opioid addiction. Despite the obstacles thrown their way, Ian is determined to keep his family afloat no matter what it takes. And for a little while, things are looking up: Ian makes friends, and his fondness for the outdoors and for fixing things lands him work helping neighbors. But an unforeseen tragedy results in Ian and his dog taking off on the run, trying to evade a future that would mean leaving their house and their land. Even if the community comes together to help him, would Ian and Gather have a home to return to?

Told in a wry, cautious first-person voice that meanders like a dog circling to be sure it’s safe to lie down, Kenneth M. Cadow’s resonant debut brings an emotional and ultimately hopeful story of one teen’s resilience in the face of unthinkable hardships, Gather tells the story of a resourceful teenager in rural Vermont who struggles to hold on to the family home while his mom recovers from addiction.