Events

Finding Sisters

Meeting my birth mother for the first time

EVENT DESCRIPTION

With almost no information about her genetic heritage, adoptee Rebecca Daniels follows limited clues and uses DNA testing, genealogical research, thoughtful letter writing, and a willingness to make awkward phone calls with strangers to find her birth parents. But along the way, she finds much more: two half-sisters, a slew of cousins on both sides…a family waiting to be found. Daniels will talk about her personal journey of discovery through genetic genealogy and then read a section from her book, followed by a question and answer period.

EVENT REVIEW: “Rebecca is an organized presenter and always has interesting things to say.  Both of her book talks for the Holyoke Public Library (Finding Sisters in March 2022 and Keeping the Lights on for Ike in June 2020) have encouraged audience members to share stories of their own.”

  – Eileen Crosby, Archivist/Librarian, Holyoke History Room and Archives, Holyoke Public Library

UPCOMING EVENTS

May 1, 2023, 7 p.m. Tewksbury Public Library. Zoom event for the library’s genealogy group.

PAST EVENTS

April 19, 2023, 6 p.m. Montague Center Library (one of the Montague Public Libraries). Local author event.

October 18, 2022, 1 p.m., Northampton Senior Center, kick-off for fall author series.

September 30, 2022 3:30 p.m. (masks required), Rockridge Retirement Community

March 3, 2022, 6 p.m., Holyoke Public Library, In-person (masks required) or Zoom attendance options available. To register click HERE.

January 26, 2022, 1 p.m. (masks required), Greenfield Senior Center.

January 3 through February 25, 2022 – VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR. For details, click HERE.

Bring Rebecca to your venue!

Email her at rdaniels@stlawu.edu

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Keeping The Lights On For Ike

“I remember my dad as a funny, smart, and cheerful fellow…[he] never talked much about the war, but he did let me put on his uniform jacket.”

UPCOMING EVENTS

No events currently scheduled for this book

Postponed until 2022 due to pandemic: Groton Senior Center, Groton, CT and Taft Public Library, Mendon, MA

EVENT DESCRIPTION

In this one-hour event, Rebecca explains how Keeping the Lights on for Ike came about. She will begin with a brief timeline of major events to set the context for Alec’s letters. She will then read a section from the book, followed by questions from and discussion with the audience.

Bring Rebecca to your venue!

Email her at rdaniels@stlawu.edu

“Rebecca Daniels provides uncommon insight into World War II, sharing a personal perspective on history by examining her own father’s letters home during wartime. There are a few things that lend extra intrigue to the war correspondence, including the fact that her father was a non-combat support soldier, and also that he was responsible for censoring sensitive material from the correspondence of fellow soldiers. Rebecca has a good understanding of the history, plus a personal connection and the theatrical experience to make the presentation a crowd-pleaser.”

Matt Atwood, Programming Librarian, Dickinson Memorial Library

PAST EVENTS

September 29, 2020, 6:00 PM, Gales Ferry branch of Ledyard Libraries, 18 Hurlbutt Road, Gales Ferry, CT 06335. ZOOM EVENT.

September 10, 2020, 2 PM, Northampton Senior Center, 67 Conz St., Northampton, MA 01060. ZOOM EVENT.

August 26, 2020, 2:00 PM, Military and Veterans History Group at the Hagaman Memorial Library, 227 Main Street, East Haven, CT 06512. ZOOM EVENT.

June 12 through July 31, 2020 – VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR. FOR DETAILS CLICK HERE.

June 13, 2020, 10:30 AM, Holyoke Public Library, 250 Chestnut Street, Holyoke, MA 01040. FREE ZOOM EVENT; ADVANCE REGISTRATION REQUIRED. CLICK HERE

June 7, 2020, 2:00 PM, Writers Read/Hilltowns at Belding Memorial Library, 344 Main Street, Ashfield, MA 01330. ZOOM EVENT.

December 9, 2019, 1:00 PM – Greenfield Senior Center, Greenfield, MA

November 9, 2019, 10:00 AM – Greenfield Savings Bank, Turners Falls, MA

October 29, 2019, 6:30 PM – Dickinson Library, Northfield, MA

July 11, 2019, 11:30 AM – Northfield Senior Center, Northfield, MA

May 23, 2019, 6:30 PM – Carnegie Library, Turners Falls, MA