2026 – Page 2 – Algonquin Library Adult Services

February’s exhibit on the Art Wall at the Main Library on Harnish Drive, “Echoes of Hiroshima, A Survivor’s Story” depicts the experiences of Masakazu Saito, who survived the detonation of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima Japan, a little more than a mile from the epicenter.

The exhibit displays a series of watercolors painted by an unknown artist, which Saito commissioned twenty-five years ago. Now 101, Saito has dedicated his life to advocating for peace and the abolishment of nuclear weapons.

Join us on Thursday, February 26 at 7:00 p.m. for Echoes of Hiroshima, A Survivor’s Story, a moving virtual program commemorating the Hiroshima bombing on August 6, 1945. This event pays tribute to those affected by nuclear war while sharing an urgent message of peace.

Presenter Clinton Fairbanks shares Saito’s unforgettable story. At the age of 20, Saito was a squad leader in the Imperial Army’s Communications Division, living in a barracks just 1,800 metres from where the bomb hit. Gravely injured but resilient, Saito lived to share his experiences through the watercolors, and also a book, ninety seconds past midnight: an atomic survivor’s story. Fairbanks collaborated with Saito on the book, which his wife, Kaoru Fairbanks translated.

Fairbanks is a photographer and storyteller who has worked with creative communities in the U.S., Japan and other countries. He said that he’s drawn to stories of people, memory, resilience, and the moments that define a life. “My work explores how personality, history, and imagination intersect, especially stories that bridge generations and cultures. The book presents a historical biography centered on Mr. Saito’s lived experience,” Fairbanks said.

“I believe storytelling preserves voices that might otherwise fade. Mr. Saito’s story, in particular, has become a calling to share the most important message of peace, forgiveness, and remembrance.”

Learn more about Fairbanks and his work at his website. His books, including ninety seconds past midnight, are available from Amazon. Those wishing to support the continued sharing of Mr. Saito’s message of peace may contribute through GoFundMe.

Allspice comes from the pepper plant Pimenta dioica, a member of the myrtle family that grows as a shrub or tree and produces aromatic berries. The berries are harvested unripe, then sun-dried, and sold whole or ground as a spice. Originally native to Jamaica, allspice spread throughout the Caribbean, Mexico, and Central America by migratory birds. Today, it is grown in tropical regions worldwide and can even be
adapted for container growing.

Culinary Uses: Allspice is a key ingredient in Jamaican dishes like jerk seasoning and soups, and it’s widely used in Middle Eastern stews and meat blends. It also flavors pickles, sausages, mole, vegetables, and Cincinnati-style chili, and enhances tomato and barbecue sauces. In sweet dishes, allspice adds warmth to gingerbread, spice cakes, and drinks like spiced cider, mulled wine, and chai.

Health Benefits: Allspice is a good source of vitamin C and minerals such as calcium, iron, manganese, copper, and magnesium. It also contains small amounts of niacin, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, vitamin A, potassium, and phosphorus, along with essential oils—most notably the aromatic compound eugenol.

Fun Facts: Allspice gets its name after its flavor, which resembles a blend of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and pepper, a term dating from 17th-century England. It was introduced to Europe by Christopher Columbus, who believed it was a type of pepper. Attempts to cultivate allspice from seed failed until it was discovered that the seeds only germinate after being digested by birds. In the Caribbean, allspice was used to cure pork for long sea voyages. This preserved meat, known as boucan by Indigenous peoples, later became associated with 17th-century pirates and gave rise to the term “buccaneers”.

ALLERGEN WARNING: AAPLD is not responsible for any reactions or sensitivities to any spice. Please be aware that spices may contain or come into contact with common allergens like dairy, eggs, soybeans, tree nuts, peanuts, fish, shellfish, or wheat. Stay safe! Cook with caution.

Anatomy of An Alibi by Ashley Elston

Two women. One dead husband. And only one alibi.

Everyone at Chantilly’s Bar noticed out-of-towner Camille Bayliss. Red lips, designer heels, sipping a Negroni. But that woman wasn’t Camille Bayliss. It was Aubrey Price.

Camille Bayliss appears to have the picture-perfect life; she’s married to hotshot lawyer Ben and is the daughter of a wealthy Louisiana family. Only nothing is as it seems: Camille believes Ben has been hiding dirty secrets for years, but she can’t find proof because he tracks her every move.

Aubrey Price has been haunted by the terrible night that changed her life a decade ago, and she’s convinced Benjamin Bayliss knows something about it. Living in a house full of criminals, Aubrey understands there’s more than one way to get to the truth—and she may have found the best way in.

Aubrey and Camille hatch a plan. It sounds simple: For twelve hours, Aubrey will take Camille’s place. Camille will spy on Ben, and the two women will get the answers they desperately seek.

Except the next morning, Ben is found murdered. Both women need an airtight alibi, but only one of them has it. And one false step is all it takes for everything to come undone.

All The Little Houses by May Cobb

Adults can behave badly too...

It's the mid-1980s in the tiny town of Longview, Texas. Nellie Anderson, the beautiful daughter of the Anderson family dynasty, has burst onto the scene. She always gets what she wants. What she can't get for herself… well, that's what her mother is for. Because Charleigh Andersen, blond, beautiful, and ruthlessly cunning, remembers all too well having to claw her way to the top. When she was coming of age on the poor side of East Texas, she was a loser, an outcast, humiliated, and shunned by the in-crowd, whose approval she'd so desperately thirsted for. When a prairie-kissed family moves to town, all trad wife, woodworking dad, wholesome daughter vibes, Charleigh's entire self-made social empire threatens to crumble. Who will be left standing when the dust settles?

From the author of The Hunting Wives comes a deliciously wicked new thriller about mean girls, mean moms, and the delicious secrets inside all the little houses.

It Should Have Been You by Andrea Mara

Your neighbors have secrets. How far would they go to keep them?

“A simple, ordinary mistake explodes into a suburban nightmare in this hugely compelling, one-sitting read packed full of thrilling moments and genuinely surprising twists. Andrea Mara is at the very top of her game.” —Catherine Ryan Howard

You press send and your message disappears. Full of secrets about your neighbors, it’s meant for your sister. But it doesn’t reach her – it goes to the entire local community WhatsApp group instead.

As rumor spreads like wildfire through the picture-perfect neighborhood, you convince yourself that people will move on, that this will quickly be forgotten. But then you receive the first death threat.

The next day, a woman has been murdered. And what’s even more chilling is that she had the same address as you – 26 Oakpark – but in a different part of town. Did the killer get the wrong house? It won’t be long before you find out…

Name: Steven Hillmann

Community: Crystal Lake (since 2000)

Preferred Medium: Digital photography

Background/training: Mostly self-taught over 50 years, but I also graduated from the New York Institute of Photography in 2008.

Preferred subjects: Landscapes, night and high-speed photography. These types of subjects allow for thoughtful composition more than faster moving objects. I enjoy technically challenging work.

What inspires his work: Capturing scenes that inspire, and events that are too short or too long to be seen with the naked eye.

Is your work for sale? All my work is for sale. Images can be produced on paper, canvas, acrylic or metal. Visit my website to see more of my work and to contact me, SWHphoto.com

Algonquin Library Adult Services

Year: 2026

Meet February’s Artist of the Month

Spice Club – February 2026 – Allspice

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Meet January’s Artist of the Month