The Summit County Library’s Books to Film Club usually meets once a month to watch a film and discuss a book on which it is based.
The club will do things a little different on Thursday with Chiwetel Ejiofor’s 2024 biopic, “Rob Peace,” said Daniel Compton, Summit County Library director.
“We’re not going to screen the film, because we don’t have the rights to screen it publicly,” he said. “It’s streaming on Netflix, so we’ll have people watch it at home, and then we’ll meet on Zoom at 6 p.m. to discuss the book.”
The book is available for check out physically through the library, and the audiobook is available to check out on Libby. In addition, those who would like to watch the film but don’t have access to Netflix can contact Compton directly.
“Rob Peace” is based on Jeff Hobb’s 2014 book, “The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace,” which follows the true story of a Yale student who risks everything to help free his father who is in prison on a murder conviction, according to Compton.
“The film screened at the Sundance FIlm Festival in 2024, and I heard great things about it there,” he said. “I’m into the book right now, and it is so well written.”
While reading the book, Compton realized the author Hobb was Peace’s roommate at Yale.
“So, Jeff knows Rob really well,” he said. “Jeff was a brilliant young man who led a fascinating life.”
“The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace” is a tale of circumstances, Compton said.
“It’s about where you grow up and the opportunities that come along,” he said. “It’s also about how difficult it is to get out of certain situations that you’re born into. Of course there is tragedy in this story that breaks your heart. So, I’m looking forward to discussing the book and film with people, and hear what they have to say about it.”
The Summit County Library’s Book to Film Club is open to anyone who wants to join, Compton said.
“Everyone is welcome, and they don’t have to have watched the film or read the book to participate,” he said. “They can come for the discussion, and on the nights we can screen films, they can come and watch a film and enjoy free popcorn.”
The Book to Film program started in February 2014, Compton said.
“We have remained consistent and have either screened a film or had people watch a film on their own and then come to discuss them with the book,” he said. “We still have people who came to the first screening still attending. It’s awesome to see that.”
The Book to Film Club even continued through the coronavirus pandemic.
“That, to me, is amazing that we were able to keep it together,” Compton said. “We became more flexible, so we could watch streaming films that could not be screened publicly and then meet on Zoom, much like what we’re going to do on Thursday.”
Compton feels the program is needed more than ever in wake of the Sundance Film Festival moving to Boulder, Colorado, in 2027.
“We’re going to continue to focus on films that are independent, even though we are limited to films that have been adapted from books, articles and short stories,” he said. “Book to Film is one of my favorite programs we offer because it allows us to talk about important issues of the day with a diverse group of people who give their insights.”
Compton is already looking forward to next month’s film, Marc Forster’s “White Bird,” rated PG-13, which is based on a graphic novel by R.J. Palacio.
Palacio wrote ‘Wonder,’ which was made into a movie in 2017 by Stephen Chbosky starring Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson, Compton said.
“So ‘White Bird’ is in the ‘Wonder’ universe,” he said. “This is the first time we’re going to use a graphic novel as a source material, which surprises me. So, I’m looking forward to that one as well.”
On June 12, the club will discuss Amber Seale’s film, “Out of My Mind,” Compton said.
“It’s available on Disney+ right now, and we do have the rights to screen it,” he said.
Compton first saw “Out of My Mind” during the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, and he loved it.
“It’s based on a children’s book but deals with a general subject everyone can appreciate — a person with a disability and what they go through in trying to communicate with the world,” he said. “It’s about a girl with cerebral palsy who is really bright, but people don’t think she isn’t because she can’t communicate very well. So she’s put in classes where she’s too smart to be. The film was well done, and we are able to get the license to screen it in person.”
All the books that have been selected for the Books to Film Club are available for check out physically or digitally at The Summit County Library, Compton said.
“The auditorium is also a nice, comfortable place to host a screening and meaningful discussion, when we are able to,” he said. “And if people keep coming back, I’ll continue to do this as long as I can.”
Summit County Library Book to Film Club: ‘Rob Peace’
- When: 6 p.m., on Thursday, April 10
- Where: Zoom
- Cost: Free
- Registration: thesummitcountylibrary.org/book-film-club-rob-peace