Library presents Canton Reads

This program and all associated events have been cancelled due to COVID-19 concerns.

By Bernard Mendillo

Red Sox/Yankees … Patriots/Giants … Coney Island hotdogs/New England clam chowder.

Boston and New York have had a long and storied rivalry — perhaps none as riveting as the race to build the first subway in America.

Okay, full disclosure, I’m a Giants fan, and the Helmet Catch certainly beats digging tunnels underground in my way of looking at things. But for a story that hits home and involves historic neighborhoods in our backyard and prominent luminaries and oddball characters from more than a hundred years ago, the subway race is full of excitement, humor, tragedy, failure and triumph. And it’s perhaps more relevant today to our lives than it was when it was built.

For that reason, the Canton Public Library has selected the gripping book The Race Underground: Boston and New York and the Incredible Rivalry that Built America’s First Subway, by Boston Globe features editor Doug Most, to be the book for this year’s edition of Canton Reads — an exciting opportunity for residents to read the same book at the same time and to participate in communal discussions and activities, sharing and learning together.

“We chose this book because of its wide appeal — to men and women and young adults,” said Library Director Andrea Capone. “Written by a local author, it’s really an interesting story about the men and women who were involved for 50 years or more trying to get Boston or New York to build the first subway in America.”

Canton Reads is now underway and runs through the end of March.

Many copies of the book are available to borrow for free at the library. And the Friends of the Library are selling discounted copies at the library’s front desk for those who want to own a copy — $20 for hardcover or $15 for paperback. The book is also available at bookstores and through Amazon.

Community Outreach Librarian Carolyn Elkort explained that the whole idea of Canton Reads is for everyone in the town to be able to read the same book at the same time. “Then the library will hold a series of informative and interactive events during the month of March, where people can learn more about the book and the history behind it,” she said.

The special events kick off on Thursday, March 5, at 7 p.m. in the library community room with the screening of the PBS American Experience documentary The Race Underground, followed by a discussion.

“There will be many more things throughout March,” Elkort said, “highlighted with a talk by the author, Doug Most, at the library on Saturday, March 28, at 7 p.m.”

Other events include a talk by Brookline author Joe McKendry, who wrote Beneath the Streets of Boston: The Story of America’s First Subway; a lecture by Jane Blair about the art of New York City; a lecture about Canton Junction by local historian Ed Galvin; and even a Boston vs. New York trivia night! The full list of events can be found at library.canton.ma.us/424/Canton-Reads-2020.

Most’s book explores all aspects of the subway saga, and, mirroring that, the library events will look at: the style of the book; the author’s perspective; the history of the period; the relevance to our world today; the food and music of the time; the art and culture; the roles of various groups in society; and the science and engineering.

“We want to make this an annual event,” Capone said. “Not only does it get people to read, which is always a good thing; it brings the community together. We’ll not only promote The Race Underground, we’ll also have books suitable for younger children that relate to the subway project. Beyond events at the library, we also hope to engage seniors living in senior residencies as well as students at the high school, middle school and elementary schools. It’s one book, one town — one shared experience.”

Finally, to complete my personal full disclosure, I am also a partial season ticket holder for the Boston Red Sox and was lucky enough to go to game two of each of the four recent World Series. I read The Race Underground with split loyalty — cheering for each home team in turn. What it really all comes down to is that the human spirit wins out. That’s the excitement that underscores this lively story.

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