Join us for a True Crime Book Discussion on Wednesday, May 15 from 1 to 2 p.m. in the Reading Room in the Timothy C. Hauenstein Reynolds Township Library. The May book selection is Bath Massacre: America's First School Bombing by Arnie Bernstein. Copies are available for checkout.

About the Author

Arnie Bernstein is a nonfiction writer based in Chicago. He's been honored by the Illinois State Library and his book "Bath Massacre: America's First School Bombing" was named a Notable Book by the State Library of Michigan. He loves taking forgotten stories in history and recreating them in vibrant new tellings for today's readers.

Book Summary

On May 18, 1927, the small town of Bath, Michigan, was forever changed when Andrew Kehoe set off a cache of explosives concealed in the basement of the local school. Thirty-eight children and six adults were dead, among them Kehoe, who had literally blown himself to bits by setting off a dynamite charge in his car. The next day, on Kehoe's farm, what was left of his wife---burned beyond recognition after Kehoe set his property and buildings ablaze---was found tied to a handcart, her skull crushed. With seemingly endless stories of school violence and suicide bombers filling today's headlines, Bath Massacre serves as a reminder that terrorism and large-scale murder are nothing new.