Michael Miller, author of the historical novel, “The High Bridge,” will be the speaker at the New Canaan Men’s Club meeting April 12, in St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 111 Oenoke Ridge.
In his novel, Miller links the pioneering suffragist, abolitionist and Native American advocate Matilda Joslyn Gage with President Grover Cleveland, both of whom spent their early days in Fayetteville, NY.
The meeting will begin at 10 a.m. with Miller beginning his remarks around 10:40 a.m.
Miller incorporates events in the historical period and the political forces active at the time to propel events in the novel. As he describes it, upstate New York in the mid-19th century was a cauldron bubbling with the lure of fast fortunes, religious zealotry, and battles for civil liberties. The fervor centered on the Erie Canal, which supported Fayetteville, and shaped the lives of the two future American leaders – Joslyn Gage and Grover Cleveland.
High Bridge tells the stories of how, despite their different childhoods and worldviews, they formed an unlikely friendship. As the story unfolds, they combine their skills to solve a mystery and possibly vindicate a Black man accused of murder.
The Men’s Club has openings for new members, men 55-years old and above. For information, email ncmens@ncmens.org