Author Mindy McGinnis shares the research behind her Edgar Award-Winning Gothic historical thriller, "A Madness so Discreet."  McGinnis will discuss how doctors treated brain injuries in the 1890's and the different aspects of care for the mentally ill (for better or for worse) including the infamous psychosurgery known as a lobotomy.  McGinnis will also delve into a brief history of the Athens [Ohio] Lunatic Asylum, the setting for the novel.

McGinnis is a Young Adult author and former school librarian.  A ninth-generation farmer, she attributes much of her character to growing up on an Ohio farm, learning the value of physical labor, and the harshness of the natural world early in life.  Much of her writing reflects small-town living and aspects of rural poverty.  Her debut novel, Not A Drop to Drink, a post-apocalyptic survival story set in a world with very little freshwater, has been optioned for film by Stephenie Meyer's Fickle Fish Films. 

This event is free to attend with doors opening at 6:30.  Books will be available to purchase from the author for $15 (hardcover) and $10 (soft back). 

This program is made possible, in part, by Ohio Humanities, a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.  Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.