BOOKS FOR THE BELOVED COMMUNITY

127 Bulloch Ave.,Roswell GA 30075

16 March, 2023

Description

BOOKS FOR THE BELOVED COMMUNITY Book Selection and Schedule Who doesn’t love a good book club? The Friends of Mimosa sure do, and we see this as a community-building opportunity to elevate groups of people in our area who often find themselves on the margins. So, let’s get to know our neighbors! The first meeting in November 2022 focused on the Indigenous Point of View with two books by Native American authors in honor of Indigenous Peoples’ Day October 10, 2022 and Native American Heritage Month in November. We discussed An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz and Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of WW 2 by Joseph Bruchac. We paired a novel with non-fiction to bridge cultural immersion with historical context. March will feature books centered on the theme of Black Identity. The Club will choose one of these three books to discuss. The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates, chronicling one enslaved man’s fight for freedom; You Don't Know Us Negros by Zora Neale Hurston, showcasing more than 35 years of the evolution of her distinctive style as an archivist and author; or Another Country by James Baldwin, exploring what it means to be Black and gay in America. For background, we also recommended reading The 1619 Project by Nikole Hannah Jones, which has been the subject of much discussion both in praise of and critiquing this thought-provoking book. To celebrate National Asian-American and Pacific Islander month in May, we will visit the theme Empowering Asian Women, exploring topics such as arranged marriage, immigration, and traditional roles that marginalize women. We will read Purple Lotus by Veena Rao, an Atlantan and publisher of the Indian-American newspaper NRI Pulse; and choose either House of Sticks: A Memoir by Vietnamese-American Ly Tran or Fiona and Jane, by Jean Chen Ho. These books illuminate the unique struggles of Asian women in the U.S. In September—which is National Hispanic Heritage Month—the theme is Magical Realism and the American Dream. Focused on U.S. authors and settings, we offer either Olga Dies Dreaming by the promising new author Xochitl Gonzalez, or Violeta by famed Chilean-American novelist, Isabel Allende. For non-fiction perspective, we are reading El Norte: The Epic and Forgotten Story of Hispanic North America by Dr. Carrie Gibson. For future years of our Books for the Beloved Community club, we will decide as a group on themes and books, which may be Georgia authors, contemporary fiction, historical fiction or non-fiction, special topics such as sustainability, or additional books by authors from marginalized groups. Questions? Contact Stefanie Dye at [email protected].