Author Brenda Smith was a resident of Reading for 27 years before moving to Maine 5 years ago. Her debut book,  Becoming Fearless: Finding Courage in the African Wilderness, is a memoir that recounts her first overseas expedition, a 12-day rafting trip through the largest uninhabited game reserve in Africa, followed by a climb up Mount Kilimanjaro on a path less traveled. Now retired, Brenda has lived, worked or traveled in over 40 countries. Members of our Word of Mouth book group had warm praise for Becoming Fearless, and Bangor's Metro Magazine recently included it in a list of seven books published by Maine authors which qualified as entertaining summer reading.

Join us in welcoming Brenda as she returns to Reading for a morning talk discussing her books (a second one is coming soon!), her adventures, and how she came to write about them.