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Library Blog

Book Review: An Unfinished Love Story

July 9, 2025 by kmerwin

Director of Library Operations Pam Parker recommends An Unfinished Love Story by Doris Kearns Goodwin.

Like many Americans, my knowledge of the political landscape of 1960s is spotty at best. Doris Kearns Goodwin, arguably the foremost living writer on the American presidency, has changed that landscape. Her recently published book, An Unfinished Love Story: A Personal History of the 1960s (2024), dives into the deep end of the John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson presidencies, and the political upheaval that the Sixties ignited.  

Her experiences within the White House as a fellow combined with her late husband’s reflections as a presidential speechwriter of the Great Society era, make this personal memoir of the 1960s a powerful insider story of twentieth century American political history. 

Doris begins the story with her husband’s odyssey into American politics. Richard ‘Dick’ Goodwin began his career in politics on John F. Kennedy’s 1959 campaign for presidency. He continued within President Kennedy’s White House as a speechwriter and carried forward with President Johnson after JFK’s assassination in 1963.  

The rumpled-suited, cigar-smoking young man from Brookline, Massachusetts, would work directly with these two American presidents. Dick is also credited with the “Great Society” concept that prompted the passage of civil and voting rights. Among his many achievements as speechwriter is President Johnson’s “We Shall Overcome” speech delivered to urge the passage of the Civil Rights Act in 1964 in the shadow of JFK’s assassination. 

By 1968, Doris was undergoing her own rise to prestige in Washington, DC. Having graduated from Harvard with a Ph.D. focused on the Amercian presidency, she earned a White House Fellowship. She would serve under a somewhat beleaguered President Johnson, whose struggles included the Vietnam war. She assumed her White House role having recently authored an article for The New Republic titled, “How to Remove LBJ.”  We get the sense that her willingness to speak up is what led to her atypically close alliance with President Johnson. Like Dick, she was invited to the Johnson’s Texas ranch where she befriended the family, including Lady Bird, and swam in the pool as President Johnson reflected on political strategies.  

President Johnson was set on her working with him on his memoirs as well as his presidential library plans. She reluctancy agreed as she had hoped to return full-time to her academic position at Harvard. For one, he was not an easy person to work for, according to many who found themselves in his inner circle.  

Doris would later author a biography, Lyndon Johnson and The American Dream (1976), leveraging her uncanny ability to bring presidential history to life. During her career as an author, she has also penned biographical accounts of the Roosevelts and earned the Pulitzer Prize for Team of Rivals (2010) about Lincoln’s presidency. These works often reveal the personal struggles alongside legislative triumphs of these leaders. 

Worth noting is that Doris and Dick’s careers did not cross paths during the Sixties. They eventually met at Harvard’s Institute of Politics in 1972. A lifetime of shared reflections on their political careers – and marriage – began there. Dick and Doris had reached different conclusions about Johnson, we learn. For Dick, the war in Vietnam had lured him toward the anti-war candidate Eugene McCarthy and in support of his close friend, Robert Kennedy, when he entered the race presidential race only to be assassinated late in 1968. The author’s account of this fateful year in our political history is particularly memorable, as she navigates the political undercurrents masterfully.  

Through the personal and professional stories of the Goodwins, we find ourselves looking at the Sixties as an insider to the ideological struggles of the Sixties, and we are reminded that strife is not unique to our present times. 

By 2015, the couple decided to undertake the project of a lifetime, sorting through some 300 boxes of Goodwin political memorabilia. Dick’s advancing age aside, they spent each Sunday making their way through papers and ephemera. These reflections, which involved a mix of professional tragedy and comedy, I found infinitely interesting. Sadly, Richard ‘Dick’ Goodwin was diagnosed with cancer during this time and passed away in 2018. Doris continued writing the book they imagined finishing together. The result is this unforgettable memoir that pays tribute to their shared legacy in American politics of the 1960s.  

When she speaks at Sun Valley Writers Conference this year, this librarian will be in the audience cheering her triumphs as author and witness to American presidential history. 


Pulitzer Prize winning author Doris Kearns Goodwin will be featured at the Sun Valley Writers Conference on July 19. Her latest work, An Unfinished Love Story: A Personal History of the 1960s (2025), adds to her collection of award-winning work, which includes: Leadership in Turbulent Times (2018), The Bully Pulpit: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and the Golden Age of Journalism (2013), Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln (2010), Wait Till Next Year (1997) and No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt (1994). The talk will be streamed at SVWC.org, and you can check out these titles at The Community Library.  

Filed Under: Staff Reviews: Books, Films, Music, and More

Faces of the Fourth

July 9, 2025 by Liam Guthrie

Sayler Peavey, Wood River Museum of History and Culture Intern

Men stand on a dirt street with a large American flag and a parade float.
Days of the Old West parade float in Hailey, Martyn Mallory Photograph Collection, Jeanne Rodger Lane Center for Regional History (F 00332)

A small-town celebration proudly marches down a muddy street, with brass instruments, horses trotting past storefronts, spectators and floats. The faces may be unfamiliar, but the feeling is timeless—patriotism, community, and the excitement of Independence Day. This is one of many images captured by Martyn Mallory, one of the Wood River Valley’s early photographers. His remarkable collection, which consists of thousands of photographs documenting early life in the region, was thankfully recovered and preserved, allowing us to see the past through his lens today. Born in Utah, Mallory moved to Hailey, Idaho when he was three and grew up to be a community member who documented so many events in the early days of the Wood River Valley. A popular event was the “Days of the Old West” parade, one of several celebrations many attended. 

This year is the 142nd annual “Days of the Old West” in the Wood River Valley. An event that has been cherished and celebrated since 1883 with the 4th of July parade being led by the grand marshal, followed by floats, horses and much more that the community has to offer. The very first ‘Days of the Old West’ parade rolled down Hailey’s dusty Main Street on July 4, 1883, when miners and ranchers swapped work clothes for bunting and brass bands. The parade was led by the Miners Union and included Grand Marshal W.T. Riley and Assistant Marshals J.A. Rupert, Mans Coffin, Don McKay, and S.J. Friedman. Aside from a pause during World War II, the tradition has marched on every summer since. This year the grand marshal for the Independence Day parade was awarded to the Wood River Women’s Foundation which is celebrating its 20th anniversary of philanthropic work, positive community impact and pooled grant making for small businesses within the Wood River Valley. 

Being awarded grand marshal isn’t just an honor – it’s a recognition bestowed for hometown pride, leadership, and contributions from those who were able to leave that lasting mark on our amazing community. Having familiar faces leading the parade is an amazing way to keep homage and tradition alive and well. It’s a truly special job for the Independence Day celebration in this valley. It’s not just someone waving to you from a convertible but instead, it’s your neighbor, former teacher, or the individual who helped pursue your goals or support you while trying to keep a small nonprofit going. It helps remind us that leadership and compassion doesn’t always happen in the public eye or on the big stage; it happens in boardrooms, backyards, and through acts of kindness, generosity and encouraging acts. When The Grand Marshal rounds that corner onto Main Street, it’s a shared moment of pride and deep embedded history—not just for the honoree, but for all in the community that knows them and their impact. 

So, long before social media and text alerts, history rolled past on a summer day—reminding us of what we grew from and the traditions we are continuing to celebrate.

Note this story was originally published in July of 2025 in the Idaho Mountain Express.

Filed Under: "Rear View" from Regional History, Library Blog Tagged With: Fourth of July, Hailey, Rear View

Book Review: Calling for a Blanket Dance

June 20, 2025 by kmerwin

Maintenance Manager Jerry McDonald recommends Calling for a Blanket Dance by Oscar Hokeah.

I was delightfully surprised by this novel. It’s not easily categorized because of Oskar’s writing style or presentation. A window into life in the Oklahoma small town, but not an autobiography or true story…

…his characters are so real, I felt it was truly his family’s sharing of a historical account of Cherokee and Kiowa tribes’ lives from the 1970s to the present.

Each chapter is a different family member’s thought and experiences. Telling in their own words, with some Cherokee mixed in, I had no difficulty in understanding their meaning. When you get to really know each character well by hearing their side of the story, it makes it much more interesting.

There are several different types of dances. Some are for the benefit of one family, some are for honoring ancestors, some for someone coming of age. Blankets usually have colors of a certain tribe. Blankets are usually handmade and made to help healing. There’s no doubt the misery the adults and children go through, day to day, captures your soul.

No sugar coating here, it’s a harsh life but enlightens the reader the way each family comes together through dancing and honoring their ancestors’ ways.

Have ah’day oosdi! I’m definitely going to read more Oscar Hokeah.

Find Calling for a Blanket Dance in our collection here.

Filed Under: Staff Reviews: Books, Films, Music, and More

History on the Go!

June 13, 2025 by kmerwin

We’re putting history in your hands this summer and taking it on the road to destinations near and far.


History in Your Hands

The Wood River Museum opens virtual doors to Wood River Valley History through a free app from Bloomberg Connects.

Locals, visitors, and even people far afield can now experience the history of the Wood River Valley in a whole new way.  The Community Library’s Wood River Museum of History + Culture launched a new digital guide to enrich both onsite and offsite visits. The app features highlights from the Museum’s offerings. More/download the app here.


Community Library Field Trips

The Museum is hosting three summer field trips to provide opportunities to dig deeper into the regional history in southern Idaho. Seating is limited; registration is required.

Saturday, June 28
Field Trip: Minidoka and the Herrett Center

Saturday, August 9
Field Trip: Shoshone Bannock Indian Festival at Fort Hall

Saturday, September 3
Field Trip: Teater’s Knoll and the Hagerman Museum


Sun Valley Story Tour by Bus

Catch free Valley tours every Friday starting July 11 and running through August 29.

The Wood River Museum of History + Culture and Mountain Rides invite you to a one-hour free bus tour with local guides highlighting the area’s rich history. Learn about the area’s most historic locales, including the Horace Lewis home and the mining history, the Brass Ranch barn and the Union Pacific Railroad’s purchase of the Brass Ranch, the first ski lifts in the world, and more.

Advance registration is recommended as space is limited. Sign up in-person at the Sun Valley Visitor Center located at 491 Sun Valley Road in Ketchum, or by emailing the Visitor Center or calling 208.726.3423.

Friday, July 11
Sun Valley Story Tour by Bus

Friday, July 18
Sun Valley Story Tour by Bus

Friday, July 25
Sun Valley Story Tour by Bus

Friday, August 1
Sun Valley Story Tour by Bus

Friday, August 9
Sun Valley Story Tour by Bus

Friday, August 15
Sun Valley Story Tour by Bus

Friday, August 22
Sun Valley Story Tour by Bus

Friday, August 29
Sun Valley Story Tour by Bus


More about  The Community Library’s Wood River Museum of History + Culture here.

Filed Under: Fresh from the Stacks, Library Blog

Review: “Little House on the Prairie” Series

June 12, 2025 by kmerwin

Children’s Librarian Helen Morgus recommends the “Little House on the Prairie” series by Laura Ingalls Wilder

My sweet dad read Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder to me when I could not have been more than five years old. We loved and identified with Laura—headstrong and creative—and her Pa, a paragon of manhood. Craving an escape into a story of American industriousness in the face of hardship, I returned to Laura Ingalls Wilder this past winter and was abundantly rewarded.

The pillars of Wilder’s writing are her meticulous descriptions of the technology of the 1880s, her passion for the land, her love of family, and the Wilders’ sense of duty and devotion to one another. Herein lie many lessons for young readers, and adults will pick up on the tenderness and mutual respect between Laura’s parents, Charles and Caroline.

But there is a troubling flip side.

Wilder wrote her books from the perspective of the late 19th century in which she was embedded. For example, she encounters people of other races, and with a sense of superiority, and adults discipline children with the rod and the whip. Notwithstanding spankings, a blackface minstrel show, Caroline’s visceral fear of Indians, and the unavoidable whiff of Manifest Destiny, there is more to admire about the Wilders than there is to condemn.

Wilder’s accounts (written in her 60s) deal with poverty, hunger, cold, disease, and other trials from a distance that takes the sting out of them. I had to ask myself: was all that self-reliance simply just that? What other forces could have been at work in the Wilders’ successes and failures?

Prairie Fires: the American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder, by Caroline Fraser, helped answer these questions. Fraser takes us through the period covered in Wilder’s children’s books and through her adult life with her husband Almanzo and their daughter, Rose. Using letters, diaries and the public record, she puts together a more complete historical portrait. I found Fraser’s dive into the U.S. government’s policies toward Indians, and her treatment of the economy of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries especially helpful.

The “Little House on the Prairie” series withstands the test of time. Perhaps most because it reminds readers of the grit that is baked into the character of people who call themselves Americans.

Filed Under: Staff Reviews: Books, Films, Music, and More, Uncategorized

Book Review: The Women of Brewster Place

June 12, 2025 by kmerwin

Executive Director Jenny Emery Davidson recommends The Women of Brewster Place by Gloria Naylor.

Jenny Women of Brewster Place adj

A young woman leaned at the windowsill of her sixth-floor apartment. She looked at the traffic and the crowds along the street just beyond the dead-end one where her apartment stood. A pigeon flew past her, and “[s]he placed her dreams on the back of the bird and fantasized that it would glide forever in transparent silver circles until it ascended to the center of the universe and was swallowed up.”

 It is language like this that makes me love Gloria Naylor’s work. In the span of a single sentence, she transforms a fleeting, forgettable moment into one that is transcendent.  Throughout the novel The Women of Brewster Place, Gloria Naylor uses language with breathtaking elasticity to evoke the friction between the mundane grittiness of an urban apartment building and the poignant qualities of the people who live there.

The architecture of the novel is framed by Brewster Place itself: a housing development born of messy political negotiations that resulted in a gray apartment building on a dead-end street. It is a place that the city has pushed out of sight. But Naylor begins and ends the novel with Brewster Place, and it becomes mythic in the telling.

The novel focuses on seven Black women of different ages and backgrounds who all find themselves, for different reasons and with different expectations, living at Brewster Place. Each chapter opens the door on another character’s life, and the vastness of their experiences strains the walls of their Brewster Place apartments. These women are in turn reckless and silly and stubborn and sexy and proud and brave and humble and fearful and strong. They are mothers and teachers and widows and activists and lovers and sisters.

There is a loneliness to each of the characters, even as they are crowded among so many people in tight city quarters – and there are quiet but profound moments when they see each other’s loneliness, brush against it, and recognize the dreams that lie within it.   

There is so much I love about this novel: how each woman’s story unfolds; how Brewster Place frames the novel as well as their lives; how the language changes how I see the world.

In some ways, The Women of Brewster Place reminds me of one of my other favorite novels, My Antonia by Willa Cather, though it is set decades later and in a city rather than the western plains. Both novels are anchored in a strong sense of place and tell the stories of female characters who are largely overlooked by the societies around them. Both novels show communities that teeter between being made and unmade, and they invite us to think of the individuals whose dreams are embroidered on those unraveling edges.

Note: The Women of Brewster Place is the pick for the Library’s Book Club to be held at 5:30 p.m. on August 6. More/register here.

Find The Women of Brewster Place in our collection here.

Filed Under: Library Book Club Reviews, Staff Reviews: Books, Films, Music, and More

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