DANVERS — The Peabody Institute Library of Danvers will host a teen book club discussion and free author talk with Boston area author Desmond Hall on Wednesday, Feb. 11.
The library is asking teens to read Hall’s work “Better Must Come,” a young adult novel that has been honored by the Massachusetts Book Awards.
The book follows teens Deja and Gabriel as they grow up in Jamaica. Gabriel, a gang member, and Deja, a “barrel girl” who receives barrels of food, clothes and other goods from her parents working in America, both seek a better life, but find themselves tangled in a dangerous situation amid a budding romance.
“Set against a backdrop of gang violence, familial abandonment, and the pressures of survival, the novel delivers an edge-of-your-seat story rooted in urgency and resilience,” the library said in a statement. “Better Must Come is a powerful and timely exploration of perseverance, courage, and hope in the face of overwhelming odds.”
The library will host a drop-in discussion about the book from 6-6:30 p.m. on Feb. 11.
At 6:30 p.m., Hall will give a talk about the book, his journey as a writer and the issues that inspired the novel, followed by a Q&A and book signing.
No registration is required.
Hall was born in Jamaica, West Indies, and moved to Jamaica, Queens, before settling in the Boston area. He has also published the young adult novel “Your Corner Dark.”
The library has copies of “Better Must Come” available to rent ahead of the program, sponsored by the Mass Book Awards Speakers Bureau and presented in collaboration with the Massachusetts Center for the Book.