Upcoming Author Events at Northshire

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Ithaca-based writer Christopher Gonzales will read from and discuss his new memoir, “Return of the Lost Son: Memories of a Wayward Father” at the Northshire Bookstore on Thursday, March 19 at 6 p.m. The event, moderated by Saratoga Springs Poet Laureate Jay Rogoff, is free and open to the public. A book signing will follow.

Gonzales’ book seeks to discover and understand his father, who left his Mexican-American family and strove to make his life a work of art. The memoir recalls Gonzales’ early memories, before the early onset of Alzheimer’s disease erased much of his father’s memory. 

Gonzales recounts his travels to Texas, Mexico, and elsewhere, as well as his research into reconstructing this mysterious man’s surprising biography. Along the way, he makes discoveries about his father, his family, his ethnic heritage, and himself.

Gonzales, who grew up outside of Saratoga Springs, said that “A key theme of my book is carving out a Latino identity in Saratoga Springs. Nearly half of the chapters include some aspect of this theme, and several of my sources and literary influences also have ties to Saratoga. And, of course, a major thrust of the book is understanding my father’s life and why he chose to move to this area.”

Also coming soon to Northshire: Eileen Flanagan, who will be speaking at the bookstore on April 15 while on a national tour for her new book, “Common Ground: How the Crisis of the Earth is Saving Us from Our Illusion of Separation.”

One of the stories included in “Common Ground” is about how New York State achieved one of the strictest climate laws in the country, partly spurred by coalition building that occurred after Hurricane Sandy. Another story is about the protection of the Adirondack Park in the late nineteenth century, which includes lessons that could be relevant to readers today.

Flanagan is a Philadelphia-based author whose daughter graduated from Skidmore College.

For more information about these and other Northshire events, visit www.northshire.com/upcoming-events.