ABOUT THE BOOK CLUB
Westerns may bring to mind cacti, shoot-outs, and spurs…but there’s so much more to it! Join Portland Public Library, Portland Ovations, and Back Cove Books as we read and discuss three very different westerns. Discover what’s in a western and see how this timeless genre continues to evolve.
- Part 1 is 12/16/25. We will discuss True Grit, by Charles Portis.
- Part 2 is 1/13/26. We will discuss How Much of These Hills is Gold, by C. Pam Zhang.
- Part 3 is 2/10/26. We will discuss God’s Country, by Percival Everett.
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 10
6 PM at Back Cove Books
651 Forest Ave, Unit 1, Portland
ACCESSIBILITY
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ASL interpretation is available by request. Contact offstage@portlandovations.org.
ABOUT THE READING
GOD’S COUNTRY BY PERCIVAL EVERETT
One of the earliest works anchoring Percival Everett’s illustrious career, God’s Country is by turns funny, shocking, and devastating. The unlikely narrator through this tale of misadventures is one Curt Marder: gambler, drinker, cheat, and would-be womanizer. Unfortunately, he’s a coward. When he sees a band of “Injun impersonators” pillaging his home, he has “half a mind to ride down that hill and say somethin’, but it was just half a mind after all.” It’s 1871, and he’s lost his farm, his wife, and his dog to a band of marauding hooligans. With nothing to live on but a desire to recover what is rightfully his, Marder enlists the help of the best tracker in the West: a Black man named Bubba.
BOOKS
Portland Public Library has free copies of each book available, but quantities are limited. Please call 207-771-2775 or email readersadvisory@portlib.org for assistance locating an available copy. Back Cove Books also offers a 10% discount on books for book discussions and book clubs.
This series was inspired by Sunny Jain’s Wild Wild East, coming soon to the State Theatre. Book discussion attendees will be entered into a drawing for two free tickets.
Sunny Jain’s Wild Wild East
Wednesday, February 18, 2026 at 7 PM
State Theatre, Portland