Author Elin Hilderbrand to Speak at CBCC Fundraiser

A Collegeville native whose books are now on the New York Times Best Seller List will speak in Doylestown June 22 at an exclusive fundraiser to raise scholarship money for needy women.

The event is sponsored by the Women in Business Committee of Central Bucks Chamber of Commerce. It will be held at 6 p.m. at at the Heritage Conservancy, 85 Old Dublin Pike.

Elin Hilderbrand, dubbed the “Queen of the Summer Novel” by Kirkus Reviews, will speak about her newest book, Silver Girl.

The $30 admission will include a first edition, hardback copy of the book. She will sign copies at the end of the program.

About the novel, Publishers Weekly says, “Longtime fans and newcomers alike will delight in this timely, touching story of loss, love, friendship and forgiveness.”

The book’s main character, Meredith Delinn, has lost her home, friends and family because of fraudulent actions taken by her husband – a Bernie Madoff-like financier.

Through the help of her closest friend, she rediscovers herself and decides who it is she will become in the aftermath of personal tragedy.

Hilderbrand’s heroine reflects the tenacity and drive exemplified by the women receiving scholarships through CBCC’s Women in Business Committee, according to Sally Parham, deputy executive director of the chamber.

“They’re all facing hardships,” said Parham.

Many are single parents, some have been abused, some have medical issues, she said, but they all have one thing in common: “They all want to better themselves.”

At a dinner earlier this month, the committee doled out $15,000 in scholarships to four women. In its 17-year history, more than $250,000 has been awarded, she said.

The group’s major fundraiser for the scholarship effort is the .

Applicants for scholarships must be age 25 or older and a resident of Bucks County and U.S. citizen. The women must also show educational merit and financial need and be enrolled in an accredited post-secondary institution.

The scholarships enable women to “fulfill something that’s very important to them and to their families,” said Ellen Mager, owner of , who is helping to coordinate Hilderbrand’s visit.

“You’re helping people change their lives, and how many times do you get a chance to do that?”

Now a resident of Nantucket – the setting for “Silver Girl” – Hilderbrand is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University and the graduate fiction workshop at the University of Iowa.

Pre-paid reservations are required. Due to the nature of the fundraiser, only books bought through the event will be signed. Limited copies of Hilderbrand’s earlier titles will also be available for purchase at the event.  

Sponsors of the program are Booktenders’ Secret Garden, Fulton Bank and Heritage Conservancy. Wine is courtesy of Chaddsford Winery.

For more information, visit www.centralbuckschamber.com, e-mail info@centralbuckschamber.com or call Booktenders’ at (215) 348-7160.