Just as a follow up
The battery level went to two "bars" then after about 30 minutes the low battery warning came up, and poof the unit shut off (the free included batteries got down to fluctuating between zero and one bar before shut off)
I put in the ready to go recharged "B" set of batteries and firmly held in the on button and it started! acted very slow like it was grumpy at being disturbed in its slumbers but did _finally_ load
My book was no longer selected and my last read place was no longer being saved for me but it worked
!