BELLOWS FALLS-Betsy Small, author of Before Before: A Story of Discovery and Loss in Sierra Leone, will read from and sign copies of her book on Monday, May 19, at 6:30 p.m. at the Rockingham Free Public Library (RFPL).
The inspiration for this book came from her experiences in Sierra Leone, first as a Peace Corps worker there from 1984–87 and again when she returned decades later with her daughter.
The University of Michigan Press has selected it as one of their 10 summer reading list books for 2025.
For more than three decades, Small has worked with divided communities in the U.S. and abroad, including Sierra Leone. This country is often sensationalized as a place of extreme violence and suffering - of blood diamonds, child soldiers, war amputations, Ebola, and now the highly addictive drug kush.
Before Before captures daily life in Tokpombu, a remote community of forty rice-farming families, where the author faced struggles and witnessed the growing tensions in this rainforest village that she says changed her forever.
Small holds master's degrees in cross-cultural counseling, psychology, and special education from Teachers College, Columbia University, and North Carolina Central University. Throughout her career, she has been an educator and counselor for families and youth in a wide range of settings.
According to biographical material on her website, she has served as executive director of War Child USA Inc, and more recently, has collaborated with teams of peace-builders in Israel, Palestine, Cyprus, and Northern Ireland. She also is the former executive director of Creating Friendship for Peace. Learn more at her website, betsysmall.com.
Copies of Before, Before will be available for purchase. For more information, contact [email protected] or 802-463-4270, or visit rockinghamlibrary.org or the library at 62 Rockingham St.
This Arts item was submitted to The Commons.