One Maryland, One Book short list: T.C. Boyle, Julia Alvarez and more
The choices narrowed Tuesday for the 2010 One Maryland, One Book community reading program, as a half-dozen contenders were eliminated, including Michael Lewis' "The Blind Side." The four books on the short list share common themes of immigration and assimilation, and should meet OMOB's goal of sparking group discussions on the issue of community. Interestingly, most of the short list mirrors the comments on Read Street. As we move ahead, let me know which of the four you'd recommend. I've read -- and enjoyed -- the Alvarez book, and plan to read the others before making my recommendation to the Maryland Humanities Council in two weeks. Here's the list:
"Outcasts United" by Warren St. John. How a soccer team of immigrant kids came together.
"How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez. The tale of four sometimes warring, sometimes loving sisters who came to America from the Dominican Republic.
"The Beautiful Things that Heaven Bears" by Dinaw Mengestu. An African immigrant struggles in a gentrifying neighborhood in Washington, D.C.
"Tortilla Curtain" by T.C. Boyle. The relationship between wealthy suburbanites and illegal immigrants in southern California.
Comments
I recommend "Outcasts United" wholeheartedly! Especially in these times following the tragedy in Haiti, more needs to be done to understand and embrace the needs of immigrant children and their families.
Posted by: Emily Bell | February 3, 2010 9:21 AM
Dave,
Very glad to have found this! My problem is I read too many books at once. (Always have, probably always will.).
Posted by: Randy Tunkel | February 3, 2010 10:03 AM
Outcast United is an amazing story that addresses so many important societal issues - race, diversity in communities, immigration, sport, education, tolerance, compassion, assimilation and so much more. It is an invaluble read and I highly recommend it for Maryland Reads!
Posted by: Diana Ulman | February 3, 2010 1:27 PM