Vive le Livre to feature author Madeline Miller on Nov. 17

MADISON – Vive le Livre 2021, a fundraiser for Huntsville-Madison County Public Library, will feature accomplished author Madeline Miller.

The Jackson Center, 6001 Moquin Drive will host Vive le Livre on Nov. 17. The event will begin with a cocktail reception at 6 p.m. A seated dinner will follow at 7 p.m., along with the keynote address by Miller, who will appear in a live-stream broadcast to guests.

Huntsville Library Foundation has presented the Vive le Livre for 35 years. Foundation members and library patrons are anticipating the visit with Miller, an award-winning and bestselling author.

Miller grew up in New York City, N.Y. and Philadelphia, Penn. At Brown University, Miller earned bachelor and master’s degrees in classics. She has taught and tutored Latin, Greek and Shakespeare to high school students for 15-plus years.

In addition, she studied at University of Chicago’s Committee on Social Thought and in the Dramaturgy Department at Yale University School of Drama. Miller focused on adaptation of classical texts to modern forms.

“Vive le Livre” will be a night to remember with great food, an outstanding speaker and wonderful community. And there may even be a few fun surprises, foundation sources said.

Miller’s presentation will focus on “Circe,” the daring and long-awaited follow-up book to her “The Song of Achilles,” a “New York Times” bestseller. Circe is the daughter of Helios, god of the sun, and his beautiful, provocative wife, who Circe closely resembles. Both men and gods detest Circe, who must deter a terrifying Olympian. (madelinemiller.com)

The book holds vivid characters, exiting prose and page-turning thrills. “Circe” portrays family rivalry, palace intrigue, love and loss, along with a celebration of female strength in a man’s world.

In reviews of “Circe,” “The New York Times” said the book is “a bold and subversive retelling of the goddess’ story that manages to be both epic and intimate in its scope, recasting the most infamous female figure from the ‘Odyssey’ as a hero in her own right.”

NPR.org described Miller’s novel as “gold-lit — told from the perspective of the witch whose name in Greek has echoes of a hawk and a weaver’s shuttle. Circe . . . is a fierce goddess who, yes, turns men into pigs, but only because they deserve it.”

HBO Max currently is adapting “Circe” for a television series.

Proceeds from Vive will support print materials, digital resources and programs for all 10 branches of the Huntsville-Madison County Public Library.

An individual ticket costs $125. Sponsorships are open and range from “Library Hero” for $5,000 to “Library Enthusiast” for $500.

Huntsville Library Foundation is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization. All donations are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. For general information about the foundation, email foundation@hmcpl.org or visit hmcpl.org/foundation.