Freedom is more than a word, it’s a fight, a story, and a right. Celebrate all three with us this Banned Books Week. Hudson Valley Free People Read Freely, The Kingston Library, Harambee Kingston, and the Ulster County Historian, invite the community to an evening of history, literature, and conversation about freedom.
Eddie Moran, Ulster County Historian, sets the scene with a look at our county’s role in the Revolutionary War, followed by Tyrone Wilson, Harambee Kingston Executive Director, exploring slavery and the lives of enslaved people right here in Kingston. With this historical context in mind, participants will then turn to a discussion of Chains by acclaimed author Laurie Halse Anderson.
Set during the Revolutionary War, Chains tells the story of thirteen-year-old Isabel, who fights for her own freedom while America battles for independence. Promised liberty after her enslaver’s death, Isabel and her sister Ruth are instead sold to a cruel New York couple loyal to the British. When Isabel meets Curzon, a fellow enslaved person connected to the Patriots, she faces a wrenching choice: risk everything to spy on her owners—or remain silent in chains.
This powerful, award-winning novel raises urgent questions about freedom, loyalty, and justice—questions that resonate as strongly today as they did in the 18th century.
This program is being presented in partnership with the Right to Read Network as part of Right to Read Night. Right to Read Night is a one-night book club event, hosted by the National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) during Banned Books Week (October 5–11, 2025), to stand up against censorship and celebrate the freedom to read.
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