Since 2011, our community has been coming together around a single book. It takes the form of an annual literary celebration called One Book One Valley, and it has led us on some amazing journeys.
We welcome you to take part in this tremendous opportunity to celebrate literacy, storytelling and civic dialogue through the shared reading of a single title.
2023 Book
Readers have chosen 2023’s One Book One Valley title
After much review and careful thought, our One Book One Valley committee, made up of community members like you, narrowed the selection down to three titles, each with great discussion and program potential. From July 22 through August 12, we sought your vote to choose the 2023 book.
The three finalists listed alphabetically by author were:
- Finders Keepers by Craig Childs
- Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
- The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
And now… drumroll, please… 2023’s selection is official! Readers in the Estes Valley have chosen
Finders Keepers by Craig Childs
as the next One Book One Valley title.
About the book: Written in Childs’s trademark lyrical style, Finders Keepers is an atypical ghost story. Visit lonesome desert canyons and fancy Fifth Avenue art galleries, journey throughout the Americas, Asia, the past and the present, and take an intense, impassioned investigation into the nature of the past and the things we leave behind.
To whom does the past belong? Is the archeologist who discovers a lost tomb a sort of hero — or a villain? Or something in between? If someone steals a relic from a museum and returns it to the ruin it came from, is she a thief? As Salter Reynolds with the LA Times reviews, “Childs looks at moral issues from a variety of angles. He doubts others as he doubts himself, a beautiful inverse of the golden rule. He raises questions like the best teachers, the real teachers – have you thought this through? What are the results of your actions? What is your role in this brief chapter?”
Copies of the book are available at the Library (stop by the first floor service desk). You can also download the digital or audio versions of the book using our catalog. To purchase a personal copy, visit or call Macdonald Book Shop. Macdonald Book Shop has been a longtime supporter of One Book One Valley, and we’re grateful for their partnership.
In January and February, we have a diverse lineup of One Book One Valley programs, including speakers drawn from the various perspectives in the book. You can view and register for all of the programs here. The series will culminate in a visit from Craig Childs himself on Monday, February 6, 2023. Remember to mark your calendars!
If you’d like to dive deeper into this year’s One Book One Valley subject matter, check out this supplemental resource guide, curated by Eric White, Adult Services Librarian and director of this year’s One Book One Valley.
One Book One Valley is made possible through the generous donors of the Estes Valley Library Friends & Foundation.