Register

Page Turners: Burke's Book Club

"The King of Confidence" by Miles Harvey

Join us online for a discussion of a true crime history book about James Jesse Strang, a charismatic 19th-century con man who claimed divine right to rule.

In the summer of 1843, James Strang, a charismatic young lawyer and avowed atheist, vanished from a rural town in New York. Months later he reappeared on the Midwestern frontier and converted to a burgeoning religious movement known as Mormonism. In the wake of the murder of the sect's leader, Joseph Smith, Strang unveiled a letter purportedly from the prophet naming him successor, and persuaded hundreds of fellow converts to follow him to an island in Lake Michigan, where he declared himself a divine king.

From this stronghold he controlled a fourth of the state of Michigan, establishing a pirate colony where he practiced plural marriage and perpetrated thefts, corruption, and frauds of all kinds. Eventually, having run afoul of powerful enemies, including the American president, Strang was assassinated, an event that was frontpage news across the country.

Burke Book Club meets on the third Wednesday of each month from 3:30 to 5 PM.  It is a monthly book discussion group through the Burke Branch Library. Note that the meeting takes place on the 4th Wednesday of the month. 

This program takes place by Zoom. After registering, you will be e-mailed the link to join this Zoom meeting. If you have questions about the program or need help with set up, please contact Caroline at cpak@alexlibraryva.org.