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Humanities Book Group

River of Doubt

"Wild About Nature" reading & discussion series event led by a humanities scholar.

A monthly reading and discussion group focusing on topics in history, culture, and the humanities. The group typically meets first Thursdays at 7 pm and is led by guest scholars. Pick up a copy of each month's book from the front desk. Click here to go to the website for the Brigham City Library's Humanities Book Group.

River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt’s Darkest Journey by Candice Millard.

Scholar: Jay Hart, WSU.

Book Description:

The River of Doubt—it is a black, uncharted tributary of the Amazon that snakes through one of the most treacherous jungles in the world. Indians armed with poison-tipped arrows haunt its shadows; piranhas glide through its waters; boulder-strewn rapids turn the river into a roiling cauldron.

After his humiliating election defeat in 1912, Roosevelt set his sights on the most punishing physical challenge he could find, the first descent of an unmapped, rapids-choked tributary of the Amazon. Together with his son Kermit and Brazil’s most famous explorer, Cândido Mariano da Silva Rondon, Roosevelt accomplished a feat so great that many at the time refused to believe it. In the process, he changed the map of the western hemisphere forever.

Series Frequently asked questions:

• I can't make it in person, can I attend via Zoom? Yes. A Zoom link is available by request. Please contact the library, 435-723-5850, at least 24 hours before the event to get a link.
• How do I join the Book Group? Come to an event. Everyone is welcome to attend any or all of the discussions.
• How do I get a book? A limited number of books are available for group members to borrow at the library's circulation desk. No library card necessary.
• Do I have to read the book in order to come to the discussion? No. Reading the book will certainly enhance your experience in the discussion and prepare you for talking points, but all are welcome no matter how much (or how little) of the book they have read.
• Can I borrow a copy to read after the discussion? Yes. As group members turn in their books, those books may be borrowed by others.

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