Author Michele Zack [photo credit: Michele Zack Facebook]
Zack’s “Altadena: Between Wilderness and City” was originally commissioned by the Altadena Historical Society and published in 2004, winning an Award of Excellence from the American Association for State and Local History in 2010 and earning praise from State Librarian historian Kevin Starr, who called it “urban history at its best.” After years out of print — and after copies were lost in many West Altadena households whose homes burned in the January 2025 Eaton Fire — the historical society reissued the book in a hardcover special commemorative edition marking its own 90th anniversary.
The new edition features enhanced historical photographs and illustrations, with many reproduced for the first time, and adds a new section on the Eaton Fire. Zack, who lost her own Altadena home in the January 2025 fire, has written and spoken extensively about the loss in the months since. Webster’s, a longtime Altadena fixture, has been a regular gathering place for the community as it works through recovery.
The book is also stocked at the Altadena Historical Society and at Vroman’s Bookstore, and copies are available for purchase online through both organizations. The hardcover edition is priced at $100 through Vroman’s and $53 through the Altadena Historical Society.
This signing is one in a series of community appearances Zack has made since the reissue. Each event has functioned partly as historical book talk and partly as community gathering for Altadena residents.
Michele Zack signing “Altadena: Between Wilderness and City” will run on Friday, June 12 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Webster’s Community Pharmacy, 2450 N. Lake Ave., in Altadena. For more information, visit https://www.google.com/url?q=
