Heather Cox Richardson discussed her new book, “Democracy Awakening” in front of a full house at the Peterborough Town House Saturday morning during a Toadstool Bookshop event.

"Democracy Awakening" was published in September and made the New York Times bestseller list. Local author Howard Mansfield guided the discussion, his questions launching Richardson into more than an hour of Richardson talking about the American condition and its cycle of democracy waxing and waning. 

A historian and history professor at Boston College, Richardson launched a daily Facebook essay during the 2019 impeachment of President Donald Trump. She moved her daily essays off of Facebook into a newsletter, "Letters From An American," which now has more than a million readers. 

After answering Mansfield's final question, Richardson fielded questions from the audience, and both authors mingled with audience members after leaving the stage.