The OHA Book Club is a bunch of history enthusiasts who enjoy reading and talking about our past. We concentrate on books about Central and Upstate New York history, but we’re not above reading memoirs or historical fiction that are good reads and expand our knowledge of our past. Our meeting are generally held once a month from September through June at 11:30AM on Saturday mornings. When held in person, meetings have been at the OHA (321 Montgomery Street). Meetings have also been held via Zoom – contact us for an invitation to the meetings and schedule updates.
Upcoming OHA Book Club Meetings and Readings:
- December 14, 2024, 11:30AM – The Fortunate Pilgrim by Mario Puzo
- January 18, 2025, 11:30AM – Hot Stuff: Disco and the Remaking of American Culture by Alice Echols
- February 15, 2025, 11:30AM – Flee North: A Forgotten Hero and the Fight for Freedom in Slavery’s Borderland by Scott Shane
Want to be a part of the email list? Contact Christina Pezzulo or Tom Zorn
Here’s a sample of past books read by our group:
- Practical Dreamer – Gerrit Smith and the Crusade for Social Reform by Norman Dann
- The Mighty Queens of Freeville – A Mother, A Daughter, and the Town That Raised Them by Amy Dickinson
- Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass
- Upstate Cauldron: Eccentric Spiritual Movements in Early New York State by Joscelyn Godwin
- Haven – The Dramatic Story of 1000 World War II Refugees and How They Came to America by Ruth Gruber
- Heaven’s Ditch: God, Gold, and Murder on the Erie Canal by Jack Kelly
- Braiding Sweetgrass – Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer
- Westcott’s Tale: Revisiting 19th Century Central New York by Jane O’Shea
- Seward: Lincoln’s Indispensable Man by Walter Stahr
- The Myth of Seneca Falls: Memory and The Women’s Suffrage Movement, 1848-1898 by Lisa Tetrault
- Frederick Douglass, Prophet of Freedom by David W. Blight
A full list can be found here.