Book about May 4, 1970 shootings at Kent State subject for One Book, One Community

The Tuscarawas County Literacy Coalition has announced that the 15th edition of its annual One Book, One Community project is now under way in the Tuscarawas Valley and will run through Nov. 10. The featured book for 2022 is "Kent State" by Deborah Wiles, a two-time National Book Award finalist.

The book explores the time whenmembers of the Ohio National Guard fired into a crowd of students protesting the Vietnam War at Kent State University on May 4, 1970, killing four and wounding nine students.

As protestors roil the campus, National Guardsmen are called in. In the chaos of what happens next, shots are fired, and four students are killed. To this day, there is still argument of what happened and why. Told in multiple voices from a number of vantage points ― protestor, Guardsman, city resident, student ― Wiles' account gives a moving, terrifying, galvanizing picture of what happened that weekend in Ohio, an event that, more than 50 years later, still resonates deeply, according to Jim Gill, 2022 One Book, One Community chair.

“What happened on May 4, 1970 at Kent State was something that defined America in so many ways,” Gill said. “We have put together a great committee that is committed to honoring the legacy of those impacted by the Kent State shootings. We encourage the community to get involved, to read the book and to join the conversation. Over 1,000 copies of Kent State have been distributed to students, teachers, schools and libraries thanks to our generous sponsors and donors.”

One Book, One Community is a nation-wide grassroots reading movement that aims to bring communities together by giving them the shared experience of reading the same book. "When we all read the same book we have something to talk about," says Lori Douglass, president of the TCLC. "One Book's goal is to break down barriers between different groups and to strengthen Tuscarawas County. We are excited about bringing a lineup of diverse programs and events to our community. From book discussion groups, to art and writing contests, to a panel discussion, to a presentation by the author on November 7 at Kent State Tuscarawas, there is no doubt there is something for everyone."

Deborah Wiles' books include the picture book Freedom Summer and the novels Love, Ruby Lavender; The Aurora County All-Stars; the National Book Award finalist Each Little Bird that Sings; and A Long Line of Cakes. The first book in the Sixties Trilogy, Countdown, received five starred reviews upon its publication and has appeared on many state award lists. The second, Revolution, was a National Book Award Finalist. The third book, Anthem, was called "brilliant" in a starred review in Booklist and "musically and culturally immersive" in a starred review in Kirkus Reviews. Wiles lives in Atlanta, Georgia. You can visit her on the web at deborahwiles.com.

This article originally appeared on The Times-Reporter: Book about May 4 shootings at KSU subject for One Book, One Community