The Nashua Public Library’s Downtown Book Group is open to the public and welcomes new members. The group meets virtually on the second Friday of the month at 3 p.m. It is led by a reference librarian.

Two recent novels are up for discussion this spring:

April 9: “Everywhere You Don’t Belong” by Gabriel Bump. Claude is a young black man born on the South Side of Chicago, raised by his civil rights-era grandmother. She tries to shape him into a principled actor for change; yet when riots consume his neighborhood, he hesitates to take sides, unwilling to let race define his life.

May 14: “Before the Coffee Gets Cold” by Toshikazu Kawaguchi. Off the beaten path in Tokyo is a cafe that, legend says, offers the opportunity to travel back in time. But there’s a catch: Travelers must return before their coffee gets cold.

The library has electronic and print versions of these books. Reserve them using the online catalog at nashualibrary.org, by calling 603-589-4611 or by emailing information@nashualibrary.org.

Registration for each meeting is required to receive a Zoom invitation; go to http://tinyurl.com/npldiscussion.

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Library program explores African American art

Martin Luther King Jr. said, “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”

At 7 p.m. on April 29, Jane Oneail of Culturally Curious will examine that arc as it relates to the African American history enshrined in American art.

Oneail’s talk, “Bending Toward Justice: African Americans as Subject and Creators in American Art,” gives a visual overview of African American oppression, struggle and progress toward equality. It will include colonial-era portraits, 19th century and Jim Crow-era prints, 1960s civil rights photography and more.

Registration is required to get an invitation to this Zoom event. Go to http://tinyurl.com/npllectures.

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Does Truth Matter?

The Nashua Public Library will host an Open Questions discussion on the topic “Does Truth Matter?” at 7 p.m. on Aprl 14.

Open Questions is a series of thought-provoking community conversations presented by New Hampshire Humanities. Share your thoughts on what truth is, whether it exists, and obstacles to believing and telling the truth. Participants must register to get an invitation to the Zoom event; go to http://tinyurl.com/nplopenquestion.

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