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Bobcat Reads: Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez

Friday, January 5, 2024 — 12:00pm
until Friday, March 8

Bobcat Reads will be discussing Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez from January 2024 through March 8 2024.

In the novel Take My Hand, set in 1973 Montgomery, Alabama, nurse Civil Townsend confronts systemic injustice when she discovers young patients coerced into birth control. Decades later, as she prepares to retire, she’s compelled to revisit a tragic past, facing the enduring significance of forgotten stories.

Join the Convo!

  • Bobcat Reads is for everyone. If you would like to participate but find the cost of the book prohibitive, please email us at alumni@bates.edu.
  • An easy and fun way to connect and network with other alumni
  • Deepen your knowledge and explore new topics with fellow Bobcats

Spotlight on Dolen Perkins-Valdez: 

Did you know? Dolen Perkins-Valdez’s inspiration for Take My Hand: A Novel comes from real-life events in the 1970s, shedding light on a dark chapter of history that’s crucial for us to remember.

Why You Don’t Want to Miss Take My Hand:
Winner of the 2023 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work in Fiction and the prestigious Silver Gavel Award by the American Bar Association for its “outstanding work that fosters the American Public’s understanding of law and the legal system,” Take My Hand is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the fight for justice. Learn more about it here.

High Five to Club Life:
Being a member of the Bates Bobcat Reads Virtual Book Club means more than just reading; it’s about digging deep into the stories that shape our world, sharing insights, and forging connections with fellow readers.

Ready to Leap In?
Make Take My Hand your next read by grabbing a copy wherever books beckon–local bookstores, hushed libraries, Bates College Store or anywhere else you prefer to get your copy! We can’t wait to begin reading with you!

Did you know?

  • We are entering our third year of the Bobcat Reads alumni book club!
  • More than 300 alumni have already signed up to participate in the Bobcat Reads alumni book club!
  • Alumni participants span 41 different majors.
  • Alumni of all ages—Class Years 1948-2023—have signed up.