This Year’s Book
The Jasper Project, in partnership with One Columbia for Arts and Culture and All Good Books, is delighted to announce that Cassie Premo Steele’s novel BEAVER GIRL has been chosen as the community reading selection for the ONE BOOK 2024 Project.
Jasper, One Columbia, and All Good Books have joined hands to provide a summer-long celebration of the project with programming, readings, an arts competition, and a culminating project party in September.
Pick up your copy of BEAVER GIRL,* read along, and join us for free events throughout the summer
2024 Events
April 21 – Earth Day Celebration with Jasper and One Columbia Arts and Culture
April 27 – Congaree National Park Spring Forest Wellness Journaling
May 2 – Can Beavers Really Save the World? Ask the Author and Scholar
June 10 – Uniquely Close: Biodiversity at Congaree and Diversity in Columbia
August 27 – Community Book Discussion with Cassie Premo Steele
September 7 – Congaree National Park Summer Forest Wellness Journaling
September 22 – ONE BOOK 2024 Round-Up Party and Contest Winners Showcase
*Beaver Girl is available at All Good Books, Liberation is Lit, Amazon, Barnes & Noble & Bookshop.org
About Beaver Girl
Set against the backdrop of a post-pandemic and climate-collapsed world, Beaver Girl follows the journey of Livia, a 19-year-old confronting the aftermath of environmental upheaval. As wildfires encircle her, Livia seeks solace in Congaree National Park, where an unexpected alliance with a beaver family becomes a central theme in her fight for survival.
Steele skillfully intertwines elements of a morality tale, shedding light on humanity's role in climate disaster. The novel delves into the ecological significance of beavers as keystone species, emphasizing their ability to shape landscapes and create sustainable water sources.
Beaver Girl transcends traditional genres, offering a narrative that explores themes of redemption, resilience, and the interconnectedness of all living beings. Anxiety and Outcast Press, through this joint venture, bring forth a powerful story that challenges readers to reflect on the consequences of environmental negligence.
About the Project
The ONE BOOK, One Community project began in the Seattle public library system in 1998 when Seattle librarians invited the community of greater Seattle to read and discuss the same book over the course of a summer. Columbia embraced the project first in 2011, and we enjoyed several years of exciting, thought-provoking programming centered around a singular book. One of our most exciting projects was in 2017 when the Columbia community read local author Carla Damron's novel The Stone Necklace, a detailed and ultimately uplifting story focusing on the power of community to combat poverty and homelessness and set in Columbia. Along with One Columbia for Arts and Culture and independent bookstore All Good Books, the Jasper Project has renewed the project focusing exclusively on books by SC authors.
