Cumberland County Education Foundation Hosts One Book Program: The Essay by Mr. Robin Yokum

On October 16, students, community members, book clubs, and Cumberland Foundation board of directors gathered at the 22nd
One Book Event in the Frank Guaracini, Jr. Fine and Performing Arts Center.  Set in 1970s Appalachian Ohio, Robin Yocum’s novel, The Essay, tells the story of a teenager born into poverty and hopelessness, seemingly destined to repeat the failures of generations of men in his family. At its heart is a reaffirmation of how, often, it’s the silenced voice that is the most powerful, and, as its title suggests, it is today’s much-beleaguered essay that is this story’s second unlikely hero. Robin Yocum is the Edgar-nominated author known for his fiction set in the Ohio River Valley. His latest novel, The Last Hitman, is set to be released in December 2025 by Crooked Lane Books.

The next One Book event will be in October 2026. For more information on Cumberland Foundation events, visit our events page.