UPDATE: The visit by the author October 19, 2021 will be an on-site virtual event.
What will the event be like now?
The event will still be live (not a recorded speech) and interactive via microphones, but Christopher McDougall himself will not be on-site. His agent made this change based on rising COVID numbers in Lebanon County. The revised schedule will be:
- 7PM Virtual Meet & Greet: Those who purchased tickets at the Special Gift level ($100 price) will still be able to participate in the meet & greet. Chris will be conversing with attendees via screen and microphone. Masks will be worn.
- 8PM Virtual Author Talk: This will take place for all ticketholder levels ($100, $20, and $10 levels) in the sanctuary of Congregation Beth Israel with Chris on the large screen. Attendees will be seated in a socially-distant configuration and will be asked to wear masks. After the talk, Chris will accept questions via microphone.
Will the author be signing books?
There will be no live book sales and signings as previously offered. Congregation Beth Israel and Christopher McDougall’s agent are still working out the details of a book signing for this event.
Can I get a refund?
We know there may be ticketholders who are disappointed about this change. We apologize for the inconvenience. We hope you will still attend this modified event, but will refund the purchase price of your ticket if you so desire.
Lebanon County Reads
While the inaugural Lebanon County Reads campaign launched in 2018, planning for Lebanon County’s own community read campaign began a year prior. All six Lebanon County public libraries support the campaign which runs from summer through early fall and culminates in the title selection’s author’s visit to Congregation Beth Israel in the Fall. We hope you’ll read with us and check out the special events affiliated with the campaign!
Running With Sherman: The Donkey With The Heart Of A Hero by Christopher McDougall
When Christopher McDougall agreed to take in a donkey from an animal hoarder, he thought it would be no harder than the rest of the adjustments he and his family had made after moving from Philadelphia to the heart of Pennsylvania Amish country. But when Sherman arrived, he was so sick he could barely move. Chris decided to undertake a radical rehabilitation program designed not only to heal Sherman’s body but his mind as well. The best way to soothe a donkey is to give it a job, so Christopher decided to teach Sherman to run. He’d heard about burro racing–a unique type of race where humans and donkeys run together in a call-back to mining days–and decided he and Sherman would enter the World Championship in Colorado.
Easier said than done. In the course of Sherman’s training, Chris would have to recruit several other runners, both human and equine, and call upon the wisdom of burro racers, goat farmers, Amish running club members, and a group of irrepressible female long-haul truckers. Along the way, he shows us the life-changing power of animals, nature, and community.
From the author’s website
People are saying:
“A delight, full of heart and hijinks and humor . . . McDougall is a gifted storyteller who gets to the heart of the human-animal connection.”
—John Grogan, author of Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World’s Worst Dog
from the author’s website
Trained as a foreign correspondent for the Associated Press, Christopher McDougall covered wars in Rwanda and Angola before writing his international bestseller, Born to Run and Natural Born Heroes. His fascination with the limits of human potential led him to create the Outside magazine web series, “Art of the Hero.” Born to Run is currently being made into a feature film starring Matthew McConaughey.
From the author’s website
2018 – America’s First Daughter by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie