Summer Reading at the Alice: "The Poison Squad"

Looking for some good summer reads--and some friendly folks to discuss them with? The Alice's new summer book club kicks off July 29th with a discussion of Pulitzer Prize-winner Deborah Blum's "The Poison Squad," some fun conversation, a historical show-and-tell, and themed (unpoisoned) snacks! Copies are available to borrow (first come first served) from the Alice, and the CEFLS library system has a few; it is also available as an audiobook for those who have more time to listen.

ABOUT THE POISON SQUAD: Formaldehyde made spoiled milk taste tolerable. The yellow coating of children’s candies often contained arsenic. Ketchup was a soup of “waste products from canners, like coal-tar colors or starch paste.” Thus was the status of the foods the US public ate during the late 1800s. In The Poison Squad, Pulitzer Prize-winner Deborah Blum tells the story of government chemist Dr. Harvey Wiley who, determined to banish these…