Community Read: The Bullet Swallower
by Elizabeth Gonzalez James
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| Date: |
May 22, 6:00 pm-7:00pm |
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| Location: |
Gunnison Library |
| Details: |
 Join us for a literary adventure and community conversation! This Community Read will culminate during the Crested Butte Center for the Arts’ Mountain Words Festival with a free author talk at the Gunnison Library on Thursday, May 22th at 6pm. FREE COPIES of The Bullet Swallower are available to pick up at each library location beginning May 1. Inside each free book is a bookmark describing of all the other wonderful FREE events happening at the library as part of the 2025 Mountain Words Festival. About the book: In 1895, Antonio Sonoro is the latest in a long line of ruthless men. He’s good with his gun and is drawn to trouble but he’s also out of money and out of options. A drought has ravaged the town of Dorado, Mexico, where he lives with his wife and children, and so when he hears about a train laden with gold and other treasures, he sets off for Houston to rob it—with his younger brother Hugo in tow. But when the heist goes awry and Hugo is killed by the Texas Rangers, Antonio finds himself launched into a quest for revenge that endangers not only his life and his family, but his eternal soul. In 1964, Jaime Sonoro is Mexico’s most renowned actor and singer. But his comfortable life is disrupted when he discovers a book that purports to tell the entire history of his family beginning with Cain and Abel. In its ancient pages, Jaime learns about the multitude of horrific crimes committed by his ancestors. And when the same mysterious figure from Antonio’s timeline shows up in Mexico City, Jaime realizes that he may be the one who has to pay for his ancestors’ crimes, unless he can discover the true story of his grandfather Antonio, the legendary bandido El Tragabalas, The Bullet Swallower. A family saga that’s epic in scope and magical in its blood, and based loosely on the author’s own great-grandfather, The Bullet Swallower tackles border politics, intergenerational trauma, and the legacies of racism and colonialism in a lush setting and stunning prose that asks who pays for the sins of our ancestors, and whether it is possible to be better than our forebears. About the author: Elizabeth Gonzalez James is a screenwriter and bestselling author of the novels, The Bullet Swallower and Mona at Sea, as well as the chapbook, Five Conversations About Peter Sellers. The Bullet Swallower was named a best book of 2024 by NPR, Esquire, and elsewhere, was a Book of the Month Club pick, and was featured on “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon” as one of their spring book club picks. Elizabeth was featured on the MSNBC documentary “My Generation” representing the Millennials. She has taught fiction writing at Grub Street, Pioneer Valley Writers Workshop, Story Studio, and elsewhere. Originally from South Texas, Elizabeth now lives with her family in Massachusetts.
Click here for the event website |
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Upcoming Events
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| TIME |
EVENT |
LOCATION |
| Thursday, May 22 |
| 9:00am-6:00pm |
Mountain Words Festival |
606 sixth st. |
| 12:30pm-1:30pm |
Lunchtime Still Life 16+ |
102 S Main St, Gunnison, CO. 81230 |
| 4:00pm-6:00pm |
MANUAL (Hill/Bloom) Gallery Reception |
606 sixth st. |
| 5:30pm-8:30pm |
AND Series: Stitches + Screwdrivers |
102 S Main St, Gunnison, CO. 81230 |
| 6:00pm-7:00pm |
Community Read: The Bullet Swallower |
Gunnison Library |
| Friday, May 23 |
| 5:30pm-8:30pm |
Watercolor Workshop 14+ |
102 S Main St, Gunnison, CO. 81230 |
| 5:30pm-8:30pm |
Friends Night Throwing 21+ |
102 S Main St, Gunnison, CO. 81230 |
| 5:30pm-6:30pm |
Book of the Month Club |
331 Elk Ave |
| 6:00pm-7:00pm |
Author Talk: |
1 Quartz Street |
| 6:00pm-8:00pm |
Auditions - A Midsummer Night's Dream |
403 Maroon Ave., Crested Butte, CO |
| 6:00pm-9:00pm |
Calling All Magic: The Gathering Players! |
Storyweaver Games, 901 W Tomichi Unit 2, Gunnison, CO 81230 |
| Saturday, May 24 |
| 11:00am-1:00pm |
Auditions - A Midsummer Night's Dream |
1 Quartz Street, Gunnison, CO 81230 |
| 11:30am-1:30pm |
Jewelry Series: Stunning Crowns |
102 S Main St, Gunnison, CO. 81230 |
| 4:00pm-6:00pm |
Jewelry Series: Stunning Crowns |
102 S Main St, Gunnison, CO. 81230 |
| 6:00pm-7:00pm |
Author Talk: |
1 Quartz Street |
| 6:30pm-8:30pm |
Cookbook Club Feature Dinner: Cool Food by Thomas |
606 sixth st. |
| 8:00pm-10:00pm |
Pixie & The Partygrass Boys |
850 County Road 49 Gunnison, CO 81230 |
| Sunday, May 25 |
| 10:00am-2:00pm |
Bingo Brunch Buffet |
The Almont Resort; 10209 CO-135, Almont, CO 81210 |
| 1:00pm-2:00pm |
Author Talk: |
1 Quartz Street |
| Monday, May 26 |
| 9:00am-12:00pm |
Memorial Day Parade |
132 Elk Ave |
| SHOW MORE EVENTS >>> |
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