On Thursday, February 24, the FCV Book Club was joined by author Cynthia Barnett for a virtual book discussion on her latest novel The Sound of the Sea: Seashells, and the Fate of the Oceans.
This special author talk and book club event was made possible by a partnership with the Florida Humanities Council and was first launched in January 2022 with a friendly competition in which FCV members were able to submit their favorite beach memories. The five winners were sent hard copies of the book.
The book club event began with a brief presentation from the author that highlighted significant seashell sites in Florida, notable scientists, and some of the threats currently facing our oceans.
At the core of the event were the shells themselves. Seashells are woven into the chapters of The Sound of the Sea: Seashells, and the Fate of the Oceans and during the book club event, they continued to be great ambassadors for helping people understand what’s happening to the sea and its life. Following the presentation, Barnett and the 45 attendees were able to engage in an informal virtual Q&A about Florida, favorite shells, upcoming projects, and more.
Barnett, who now teaches environmental journalism at the University of Florida expressed that there are certain sacrifices that come to those who toil in the environment, but that Florida nature in many ways remains her muse.
Following the event, participants were able to email the author and receive a signed bookplate. The FCV book club meets once every six weeks. You can sign up to receive updates from the FCV Book Club here.
