SALISBURY – Rowan Public Library will host a Book Talk featuring Tim O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried” from noon to 2 p.m. Friday in Stanback Auditorium at the Headquarters Library, 201 W. Fisher St.

The free, lunchtime program is open to the public and is intended for teenagers and adults. Participants are invited to bring a lunch or enjoy provided light refreshments. Drop-ins are welcome.

The Book Talk program will be led by a panel that includes Salisbury Post’s Deirdre Parker-Smith and South Main Book Co.’s Wendy Beeker. The moderated discussion is designed to allow participation by those familiar with the book as well as those who want to learn more before reading it.

“The Things They Carried” was first published in 1990, and the collection of related short stories was described by New York Times reviewer Robert R. Harris as “on the list of best fiction about any war.” It recounts the experiences of an American platoon in Vietnam and afterward. From Lt. Jimmy Cross to the character Tim O’Brien, the characters are memorable, and (the author) O’Brien weaves an account that is at times haunting and leaves readers questioning larger ideas, such as the role of “truth” in a war story.

“The Things They Carried” can be purchased at South Main Book Co. at 110 S. Main St. It is also available through the library.

For more information, visit www.rowanpubliclibrary.org, email Laurie.Lyda@rowancountync.gov, or contact your nearest branch library.