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Thursday Afternoon Book Discussion

"Ghosts of Hiroshima" by Charles Pellegrino

2026-08-06 13:30:00 2026-08-06 14:30:00 America/New_York Thursday Afternoon Book Discussion Do you have afternoons available? Join us at the Library for some coffee, confections, and conversation about the titles chosen by fellow book club members! 📚 ☕ James M. Duncan Jr. Branch Library - Beth Patridge Meeting Room

Thursday, August 06
1:30pm - 2:30pm

Add to Calendar 2026-08-06 13:30:00 2026-08-06 14:30:00 America/New_York Thursday Afternoon Book Discussion Do you have afternoons available? Join us at the Library for some coffee, confections, and conversation about the titles chosen by fellow book club members! 📚 ☕ James M. Duncan Jr. Branch Library - Beth Patridge Meeting Room

James M. Duncan Jr. Branch Library

Beth Patridge Meeting Room

Do you have afternoons available? Join us at the Library for some coffee, confections, and conversation about the titles chosen by fellow book club members! 📚 ☕

Plot: SOON TO BE A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE FROM ACADEMY AWARD–WINNING FILMMAKER JAMES CAMERON 

"No one recognized the flashes of bright light that filled the sky. Survivors described colors they couldn’t name. The blast wave that followed seemed to strike with no sound. In that silence came the dawn of atomic death for two hundred thousand souls. On August 6, 1945, twenty-nine-year-old naval engineer Tsutomu Yamaguchi was on the last day of a business trip, looking forward to returning home to his wife and infant son, when the bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. He survived the atomic blast and got on a train to Nagasaki, only to be bombed again. Jacob Beser, a Manhattan Project engineer, looked down on Hiroshima and saw the ground boiling. He refused to look at Nagasaki at all. Years afterward, he referred to what he witnessed as “the most bizarre and spectacular two events in the history of man’s inhumanity to man.” From that first millionth of a second, people began to die in previously unimaginable ways. Near Hiroshima’s hypocenter, teeth were scattered on the ground, speckles of incandescent blood were converted to carbon steel, a child’s marbles melted to blobs of molten glass. From the bombs were born radioactive substances that mimicked calcium in growing bones and which, ten years after, filled entire hospitals with a shocking nuclear weapons, more than anything else, were child-killers. Based on years of forensic archaeology combined with interviews of more than two hundred survivors and their families, Ghosts of Hiroshima is a you-are-there account of ordinary human beings thrust into extraordinary events, during which our modern civilization entered its most challenging phase—a nuclear adolescence that, unless we are very wise and learn from our past, we may not." (Goodreads.com)

đŸ—ŸRegister for book club reminders! 

📚 Copies of the book are provided by our Friends of Duncan Library, become a Friend today to support Library programs! https://www.friendsofduncanlibrary.org



James M. Duncan Jr. Branch Library

kpayne@alexlibraryva.org
Phone: 703.746.1705
Fax: 703.746.1785
Branch manager
Kayla Selsky

Hours
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We're closed Friday May 15 due to Staff Development Day
Mon, May 11 10:00AM to 8:00PM
Tue, May 12 10:00AM to 8:00PM
Wed, May 13 10:00AM to 8:00PM
Thu, May 14 10:00AM to 8:00PM
Fri, May 15 Closed
(Staff Development Day)
Sat, May 16 10:00AM to 5:00PM
Sun, May 17 1:00PM to 5:00PM

About the branch

Parking: There is a small lot with 9 spaces.  On street parking is available.

Public Transit:

  • Metrorail: Yellow and Blue lines at Braddock Road (1.3 miles) and King Street Stations (1.5 miles)
  • Metrobus: A11, A12
  • DASH Bus: 33

For reasonable disability accommodation, contact jgregorio@alexlibraryva.org or call 703.746.1701 or TTY 703.746.1790.

Upcoming Events

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Wed, May 13, 5:00pm - 6:00pm
Beth Patridge Meeting Room
Changing the world, one book at a time!

Wed, May 13, 6:30pm - 7:45pm
Join us every Wednesday evening for FREE beginner to intermediate classes! / ¡Únase a nosotros todos los miĂ©rcoles por la noche para recibir clases GRATIS para principiantes e intermedios!

Thu, May 14, 10:15am - 10:45am
Beth Patridge Meeting Room,Children's Area
Come join us for engaging stories that are worth gathering for. Great for toddlers and siblings. Ages 0-5.

Thu, May 14, 11:15am - 11:45am
Beth Patridge Meeting Room,Children's Area
Come join us for engaging stories that are worth gathering for. Great for toddlers and siblings. Ages 0-5.

Thu, May 14, 5:00pm - 6:00pm
Beth Patridge Meeting Room
Changing the world one book at a time!

Thu, May 14, 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Join us at The Company of Books, where we discuss what we're currently reading. Bring something to write with; you are always going to leave with a list of things to add to your TBR pile!

Sat, May 16, 10:30am - 11:30am
Beth Patridge Meeting Room
All levels are welcome, to stretch, breathe and cultivate connections with body-heart-mind-spirit
This event is full

Sun, May 17, 2:30pm - 3:30pm
Beth Patridge Meeting Room
Bring your preschooler to the Duncan Library on Sunday afternoons to explore STEAM activities (science, technology, engineering, art, and math)! This is a drop-in event. Recommended for ages 3-6

Mon, May 18, 6:30pm - 7:45pm
Beth Patridge Meeting Room
Join us for a guided self-inquiry & group discussion on finding your personality type and exploring what that means in your day-to-day habits

Tue, May 19, 5:00pm - 7:00pm
Beth Patridge Meeting Room
Join DM Mike in a high seas DnD adventure! Ages 13-18. Registration required.
This event is full

Thu, May 21, 10:15am - 10:45am
Beth Patridge Meeting Room,Children's Area
Come join us for engaging stories that are worth gathering for. Great for toddlers and siblings. Ages 0-5.

Thu, May 21, 11:15am - 11:45am
Beth Patridge Meeting Room,Children's Area
Come join us for engaging stories that are worth gathering for. Great for toddlers and siblings. Ages 0-5.

Sat, May 23, 10:00am - 12:00pm
Butterfly Garden
Identify local birds and their habitats with experienced birders who will lead a walking tour around Del Ray - be sure to wear comfy shoes!

Sun, May 24, 3:30pm - 4:00pm
Beth Patridge Meeting Room
Wiggle, crawl and clap at Baby Time! Fingerplay and songs for Ages 0-24 months.

Tue, May 26, 5:00pm - 7:00pm
Beth Patridge Meeting Room
Join DM Mike in a high seas DnD adventure! Ages 13-18. Registration required.
This event is full

Wed, May 27, 6:00pm - 7:30pm
Beth Patridge Meeting Room
Join local florist, Hunter, who will teach us how to weave flowers together to form a beautiful crown in the spirit of May Day! (Adults Only)
This event is full

Thu, May 28, 10:15am - 10:45am
Beth Patridge Meeting Room,Children's Area
A storytime in English and Spanish. un cuentacuentos en inglés y español.

Thu, May 28, 11:15am - 11:45am
Beth Patridge Meeting Room,Children's Area
A storytime in English and Spanish. un cuentacuentos en inglés y español.

Thu, May 28, 5:30pm - 7:00pm
Beth Patridge Meeting Room
Ages 14-19. Participate in this special recorded conversation about being a teen in Alexandria.

Sat, May 30, 10:30am - 11:30am
Beth Patridge Meeting Room
All levels are welcome, to stretch, breathe and cultivate connections with body-heart-mind-spirit
This event is full

Sun, May 31, 2:30pm - 3:30pm
Beth Patridge Meeting Room
Bring your preschooler to the Duncan Library on Sunday afternoons to explore STEAM activities (science, technology, engineering, art, and math)! This is a drop-in event. Recommended for ages 3-6

Mon, Jun 01, 10:15am - 10:45am
Beth Patridge Meeting Room
Wiggle, crawl and clap at Baby Time! (0-14 months) Tickets Required. 0-14 meses, se requieren boletos.

Mon, Jun 01, 11:15am - 11:45am
Beth Patridge Meeting Room
Wiggle, crawl and clap at Baby Time! (0-14 months) Tickets Required. 0-14 meses, se requieren boletos.

Mon, Jun 01, 4:00pm - 5:00pm
Beth Patridge Meeting Room
An interactive story time for kids of all abilities, especially those with sensory needs. Registration required. (Ages 2-8)

Mon, Jun 01, 6:30pm - 7:30pm
Beth Patridge Meeting Room
Join us for an all-levels yoga class that invites you to connect with your body, build stability over time, and deepen your practice in a supportive, welcoming environment—no prior experience needed
This event is full

Tue, Jun 02, 5:00pm - 7:00pm
Beth Patridge Meeting Room
Join DM Mike in a high seas DnD adventure! Ages 13-18. Registration required.
This event is full