Thursday, September 17

Translation Nation: Defining a New American Identity in the Spanish-Speaking United States

by Héctor Tobar

Pulitzer prize-winning journalist Héctor Tobar explores the culture and community of the Spanish-speaking population in the United States. Using his personal story and documenting the stories of others, he examines immigration, migration, and the influence of this diverse population on our national culture.
2005, 349 pp.

Thursday, October 15

The Zookeeper's Wife: A War Story

by Diane Ackerman

During the Nazi occupation of Poland, the keepers of the Warsaw Zoo, Jan and Antonina Zabiniski, sheltered 300 Jews and Polish activists. This vivid portrait of resistance and survival is based on Antonina's diaries, contemporary sources, and research by the author.
2007, 368 pp.

Thursday, November 12

"I Am a Man": Chief Standing Bear's Journey for Justice

by Joe Starita

In 1879, Chief Standing Bear stood in court demanding recognition and equal protection as a person with entitlement to property, life, and land. This engaging account portrays his struggle for justice, which ended with the recognition of citizenship for all Native Americans.
2008, 257 pp.

Monday, January 18

Martin Luther King, Jr., for Armchair Theologians

by Rufus Burrow, Jr.; illustrated by Ron Hill

In this cleverly illustrated exploration of the life, thought and legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr., Rufus Burrow examines the intellectual odyssey, people, and communities that grounded and influenced his choices, methods, and beliefs. It demonstrates we can still learn from him in our contemporary world.
2009, 194 pp.

Dr. Burrow will be here for the book discussion and will give a lecture later that evening.

Thursday, February 25

The Help

by Kathryn Stockett

In her resonant debut novel set in Jackson, Mississippi, during the Civil Rights Movement, Kathryn Stockett portrays white society that allowed black maids to raise their children, but mistrusted them with valuables. The story is told by a young, white college graduate, a black maid who has raised 17 children, and her friend, a black maid who keeps losing her jobs by talking back. This story helps us to imagine what is was like to live during this tumultuous era.
2009, 451 pp.

Thursday, March 25

Asian Americans in the Twenty-First Century: Oral Histories of First- to Fourth- Generation Americans from China, Japan, India, Korea, the Phillippines, Vietnam, and Laos

by Joann Faung Jean Lee

A collection of 27 contemporary interviews on Asian American identity, following up on Joann Lee's 1992 collection, Asian Americans. The stories are personal and lively, covering a wide range of topics from immigration and assimilation to adoption and gay marriage.
2008, 277 pp.

Thursday, April 22

Jesus, Interrupted: Revealing the Hidden Contradictions in the Bible (and Why We Don't Know About Them)

by Bart D. Ehrman

Examining the New Testament with critical eyes, Bart Ehrman highlights the authors (and supposed authors) of the books, their conflicting points of view, and the dates when various parts of the New Testament were actually written. Ehrman shares in layperson's terms what scholars have known for centuries.

Dr. Ehrman will be here for the book discussion and will give a lecture later that evening.