Celebrating Life Through the Classics – Plymouth District Library

Sometimes you get an email that reminds you how we are all connected. I received one such email from Kimberly Buzette. She shared that she had lost her son and, in continuing to honor his life, wanted to celebrate his love of libraries and books. It was a beautiful sentiment I couldn’t ignore. Kimberly mentioned that her son loved the classics and began to list them, but it was one title that caught my eye and heart—The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway. It was Hemingway’s first novel and a favorite of Nick’s. It also sits on my desk as a remembrance of my father, an English teacher, a Sargent in the United States Army and a terrible singer, whom I lost a few years ago. A book brings back the love of someone you’ve lost and all the beautiful memories that come flooding to your mind and heart. So, with that, here is the story of Kimberly Buzette’s son, Nick, and his love of books.

Copy of The Sun Also Rises from Nick’s Library

Kim’s Words:

Nick was known for his insatiable appetite for reading. Even as a young boy, he adored reading Clifford The Big Dog. As a teen, he immersed himself in world history and F. Scott Fitzgerald, and as an adult, he delighted in classic authors like J.D. Salinger, Ernest Hemingway, T.S. Eliot, Albert Camus. His passion for books was a deep-seated part of his being. He felt at peace in libraries and antique bookstores, gently passing through the shelves as if he were discovering artifacts on an expedition.

Nick enjoyed being part of the Plymouth community and spent his weekends there. He was a true foodie, frequenting E.G. Nick’s, and loved watching movies at the Penn Theatre, where classic films would reflect off his big blue eyes. Nick also enjoyed designing mugs at Creatopia Pottery and visiting the Northville Library. He was a gentle man with an extraordinary personality, always reading—even on a Friday night. He constantly studied literature, educating and fortifying himself with knowledge.

Nick’s passion for books extended to sharing that love with friends and family. He kept extra copies of the classics to give away to anyone—family, friends, even strangers he’d meet at Biggby Coffee! To celebrate Nick’s love of reading, visit your local library. Read one of his favorite books: The Stranger, The Catcher in the Rye, The Sun Also Rises, or Franny and Zooey. Dive into a great history book, commit to reading, and enlighten yourself with the wisdom of your favorite author. Be like Nick!

We leave you with one of Nick’s favorite quotes from The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger:

“What really knocks me out is a book that, when you’re all done reading it, you wish the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours, and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it…”

In Memory of Nicholas LeRoi