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Sarasota News Leader October 11, 2013 Page 98 ONE BOOK ONE COMMUNITY RESURRECTS A CLASSIC By Cooper Levey-Baker Associate Editor Rick Smith had no clue how popular his father's novel, A Land Remembered, was until the Marco Island Historical Society asked if his dad, Patrick D. Smith, could visit and speak about his work. Rick told the society his father wasn't well and couldn't make it, but he offered to come in his father's place. Rick, who lives in California, didn't want to travel all the way to Florida for just one talk, so he started lining up other dates. Library System's One Book One Community program 10 years ago. One Book was created to encourage all county residents to read the same book at the same time, while the county library system offered events intended to generate conversations prompted by the book. The concept has flourished around the country; past programs here have featured works as diverse as The Hunger Games and Unbroken, a true-life "I let a few other places know I was com- story of survival during World War II. ing out, and all of To c e l e b r a t e O n e a sudden, poof, I Book's first decade, had 16," Rick tells the libraries are lookThe Sarasota News ing to the past, and Leader. "People really bringing back A Land want to hear this." Remembered. They will sponsor two A Land Remembered events next week was first published that will feature in 1984 by Sarasota's Rick speaking about Pineapple Press, and the novel and, more the book's popularity broadly, his father's has only grown in the career. decades since. The novel is now in its 41st Libraries Outreach printing, has attracted Coordinator Barb a legion of fans and is McDonald says One often required reading Book organizers had for Florida fourthheard about Rick's A and fifth-graders. It Land Remembered was also the very road show and thought first book selected by The cover of A Land Remembered. Photo putting one on here the Sarasota County courtesy Rick Smith would be a perfect fit.