ALPENA — The Alpena County George N. Fletcher Public Library is pleased to share that last April’s canceled Michigan Humanities Council Great Michigan Read event has been rescheduled.

The library is pleased to welcome Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha for a virtual visit to Alpena at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 6 to discuss her book “What the Eyes Don’t See,” a powerful first-hand account of the Flint water crisis, the signature environmental disaster of our time, and a riveting narrative of personal advocacy.

Selected as the 2019-20 Great Michigan Read title, “What the Eyes Don’t See” is also the story of how science and determination helped expose the severity of the situation, forcing the government to address the damage being done to the residents of Flint.

Hanna-Attisha will participate in a virtual conversation with Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary’s Katie Wolf beginning at 6:30 pm, followed by an audience Q&A. This event will be conducted live via Zoom. Registration is required and can be done by visiting https://forms.gle/DS3DkJ1uVSrihPcx7. Questions for Hanna-Attisha can also be submitted through the registration form.

In addition to the public event, Hanna-Attisha will be speaking with Melissa Doubek and Jenny Poli’s science classes at Alpena High School. Doubek and Poli’s classes will be reading the book in conjunction with a unit on water quality. The teachers are thrilled that Hanna-Attisha will be available to speak to their students on the importance of using scientific methods and intensive research.

“The title intertwines science and the humanities with Dr. Mona’s personal story as an immigrant, scientist, doctor, author, and social justice advocate. It is an accessible and engaging read,” said Jessica Luther, assistant library director and chair of the Northeast Michigan Great Michigan Read Selection Committee.

Books and reading guides are available for checkout at the library, and the e-book and audiobook versions are available through Libby.

The 2019-20 Great Michigan Read is presented by Michigan Humanities and supported by national, statewide, and local partners, including the National Endowment for the Humanities and The Meijer Foundation.

About the presenters:

Hanna-Attisha is a pediatrician, professor, and public health advocate whose research exposed the Flint water crisis. Her research revealed children were exposed to dangerous levels of lead in Flint, Michigan. She is now the director of an initiative to mitigate the impact of the crisis.

She is commonly referred to as “Dr. Mona.” She is the author of the 2018 book “What the Eyes Don’t See,” which The New York Times named as one of the 100 most notable books of the year.

Katie Wolf serves as the liaison between the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary (TBNMS) and its local nonprofit, Friends of TBNMS. She is also part of the sanctuary’s education and community outreach team. Before moving to the Alpena area six years ago to join the Community Foundation for Northeast Michigan staff, she served as Senior Communications Director for Michigan State University’s College of Communication Arts & Science. As a former executive director of the Michigan Humanities Council, the Great Michigan Read program holds a special place in Wolf’s heart. For several years she traveled throughout the state, including her first trip to Alpena, hosting community discussions about Michigan’s outstanding authors and books as part of the Great Michigan Read. Wolf holds a master’s degree from MSU’s CAS and a bachelor’s degree in English literature and biology from Bellarmine University.

For more information, visit the library’s website or Facebook page.