Bestselling author Alison Espach to visit Penfield Public Library this fall

Rochester, New York – Readers in the Rochester area will have the opportunity to meet one of today’s most celebrated novelists this fall as bestselling author Alison Espach visits Penfield Public Library for an evening of conversation, books, and community.

The event will feature an author talk followed by a book signing, giving attendees the chance to hear directly from Espach about her writing and the success of her acclaimed novel The Wedding People. Guests will also be able to enjoy light refreshments after the discussion while meeting the author.

Published in 2024, The Wedding People has quickly become one of the year’s most talked-about novels. The story follows English professor Phoebe Stone, whose life has been shaped by a series of painful setbacks that leave her questioning her future. Unexpectedly drawn into a stranger’s wedding, Phoebe begins a journey of personal discovery that reveals hope, healing, and the possibility of happiness in unexpected places.

The novel has earned widespread praise from readers and critics alike. Jenna Bush Hager of The Today Show’s Read with Jenna Book Club described the book as “the perfect book to wrap up your summer reading…hilarious and heartwarming!”

Since its release, The Wedding People has achieved remarkable commercial success. The novel became a New York Times bestseller and was selected as a Read with Jenna Book Club Pick. It has sold more than 1.5 million copies around the world and has also been recognized as one of the Best Books of the Year by The Guardian, Time, Chicago Tribune, Elle, Real Simple, and Glamour.

Following the presentation, attendees will have an opportunity to meet Espach during a book signing. Visitors are welcome to bring their own copy of The Wedding People or purchase one at the event through Another Chapter Bookstore, a locally owned independent bookseller that will be on-site.

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To help make the program accessible to a wider audience, sign language interpretation will be available throughout the evening.

For those who cannot attend in person, Penfield Community TV will provide a live stream of the event beginning at 7 p.m. on Sept. 9. A recorded version will remain available for viewing for two weeks afterward through the Penfield Public Library website as well as Penfield TV’s YouTube channel, allowing readers to enjoy the discussion from home.

Library officials are also asking anyone who registers but later finds they cannot attend to cancel their reservation. Doing so will allow people on the waiting list the opportunity to participate. Organizers also noted that duplicate registrations under the same name will be removed to help ensure accurate attendance records.

The program is being presented through a partnership between Penfield Public Library, East Rochester Public Library, and Webster Public Library, reflecting a collaborative effort to bring nationally recognized literary events to local readers.

Additional support for the evening comes from Senator Samra Brouk, the Friends & Foundation of the Rochester Public Library, and the Friends of Penfield Public Library.

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Organizers also expressed special appreciation to Another Chapter Bookstore, Penfield Recreation, Penfield Community TV, and the Town of Penfield for helping make the event possible.

With a bestselling novel that has resonated with readers across the globe and an evening designed to bring authors and audiences together, Espach’s visit is expected to be one of the season’s standout literary events for the local community. The combination of an engaging discussion, book signing, and online viewing option offers readers multiple ways to connect with one of contemporary fiction’s most successful voices.