FARMINGTON — This October, the Thursday Island Reading Series makes its scintillating second offering to the Farmington literary scene. The Thursday Island Reading Series – a collaboration between Devany Doak and Garrett Booksellers, Twice Sold Tales, and The Rustica Journal – invites acclaimed authors to read their work and, in the spirit of classic Maine summer camps, share a skill or craft with the audience. The series will host three authors each season, in a dynamic array of genres and voices.

On Thursday, Oct. 24, at 6 p.m. at Twice Sold Tales, the series welcomes acclaimed Maine author Bill Roorbach. Bill will be reading from his new novel, Beep, as well as providing musical interludes. Beer, wine, and copies of Bill Roorbach’s books will be available for purchase during and after the reading.

In this immensely enjoyable and wise novel, it takes a sweet and personable squirrel monkey, Beep, to help us see the world we live in more clearly. While venturing deeper and higher into the Costa Rican rain forest to find a mate, he instead meets Inga, an American tween on vacation with her family. Inadvertently, Beep travels with Inga to Manhattan, where, with her devoted help, a bit of inspiration from a visiting Greta Thunberg, and a dramatic zoo liberation, he manages to change the destiny of the world. He even finds his monkey love. Along the way, a vast cast of engaging and perceptive animals have a great deal to say about humanity and the divisions among us, our alien cities, our strange practices, not to mention our folly, beauty, and unfulfilled promise as a species.

Author Kate Christensen writes, “Beep is a wonder, both monkey and novel, our hero’s curious, questing soul, the ebullient brilliance of Roorbach’s prose. Wildly beautiful, funny, moving, entrancing, and hopeful, this is a story for our times, a ray of warm and generous light, a stern warning, a triumph of storytelling.”

Roorbach is the much-acclaimed author of Lucky Turtle, Temple Stream, Life Among Giants, and Summers with Juliet. He lives with his family in Scarborough and Farmington.

For more information about this event or the Thursday Island Reading Series, contact DDG Booksellers at 207-778-3454 or Twice Sold Tales at 207-778-4411.