Library Headquarters
5 Harry S. Truman Parkway, Annapolis, MD 21401
410-222-7371 • www.aacpl.net
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Laurie L. Hayes
410-222-7371 (office)
443-995-0728 (cell)
Library Branches to Host Discussions, Photo Gallery
for ‘One Maryland One Book’ Selection
Readers will gather at three branches of the Anne Arundel County
Public Library this month and next to discuss the One Maryland One Book selection for 2013, titled
King Peggy: An American Secretary, Her Royal Destiny, and the Inspiring Story of How She Changed
an African Village.
(September 9, 2013- Annapolis, MD)
The book, an autobiographical account written by Peggielene Bartels with help from Eleanor Herman,
chronicles a Maryland secretary’s journey to Ghana, where she is made king of Otuam, a coastal town of
some 7,000 residents.
Upon arriving in Otuam for her crowning ceremony, Peggy discovers the reality behind the fairy tale:
the town has no running water, no doctor and no high school; the king’s palace is in ruins, and the town
coffers are empty. Peggy’s determination to change all this sets her on a collision course with Otuam’s
stubborn male elders, and her journey is stranger than fiction. After two years of King Peggy’s reign,
both she and the deeply traditional African town find themselves transformed by the experience.
Readers are invited and encouraged to engage in any of three group discussions of King Peggy,
scheduled as follows:

Tuesday, September 17 at 7 PM at the South County Branch Library
5940 Deale-Churchton Rd., Deale

Tuesday, September 24 at 7 PM at the Mountain Road Branch Library
4730 Mountain Rd., Long Point Mall, Pasadena

Wednesday, October 16 at 7 PM at the Annapolis Area Library
1410 West St., Annapolis
“It’s a neat idea to have everyone in the state read the same book,” said Deb Bancroft, Annapolis Area
librarian and organizer of the event. “People can choose from any of the three events, and no registration
is needed.”
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Additionally, there will be a photography exhibit of Ghana taken by Scott Landis, who spent two months
working in the capital city of Accra as a writer and photographer for the Business and Financial Times.
Landis’ work, comprising photographs from across the nation, will be on display from October 7
through October 21 at the Annapolis Area Library.
For more information, call Laurie L. Hayes, AACPL Director of Public Relations and Marketing, at
410.222.7371.
In its sixth year, One Maryland One Book is designed to bring together diverse people in communities across the
state through the shared experience of reading the same book. Readers are then invited to participate in bookcentered discussions and other associated programs at public libraries, high schools, colleges and universities,
museums, bookstores, and community and senior centers. Organized by the Maryland Humanities Council, the
yearly program is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the Maryland State Department
of Education, as well as other sponsors.
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NOTE TO EDITORS: Please see the attached high-resolution photograph. [Caption: The Wli Falls in the
Volta Region in Ghana. Photo by Scott Landis.]
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