Share Your Story about your family's journey
The Book of Unknown Americans, this year's One Book, One Village title for Arlington Heights, gives a glimpse into the stories of families and individuals who have immigrated to America. In this spirit, the Arlington Heights Memorial Library is collecting stories that celebrate our diverse community.
Do you have a story to share? Where did your family come from? What is your life like now? How do you celebrate and preserve your family's cultural heritage? Share your own story and photographs online. Get started here: www.ahml.info/onebook/share.
Then, check back and watch as the collection of stories grows. Get to know your neighbors and learn about the fascinating journeys that others have taken to calling Arlington Heights home.
ABOUT ONE BOOK, ONE VILLAGE: Please join Arlington Heights in reading and discussing the 2015 One Book, One Village community read, The Book of Unknown Americans by Chicago author Cristina Henríquez. Copies are available for check out at the library, senior center and on the bookmobile. Book Groups can reserve a set of books for discussion. Programs and events related to One Book, One Village will culminate with a visit by the author on Thursday, November 12 at the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre. For more information, visit the One Book, One Village website: <URL destination="http://www.ahml.info/onebook ">www.ahml.info/onebook
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ABOUT THE BOOK: The Book of Unknown Americans follows the story of two families - the Riveras and Toros - and their lives (struggles, challenges, joys, tragedy) as recent immigrants to the United States, living in an apartment complex in Delaware. Each family has come to America for different reasons but ultimately to provide a better life for their children. Interwoven into the novel are the testimonials of men and women who have come to the United States from all over Central and Latin America, providing an authentic voice to the characters' individual stories. The novel explores the definition of what it means to be American and brings to life the varied human stories behind the ongoing debate about immigration through the eyes of characters from all over Latin America.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Cristina Henríquez, a Chicago author, grew up half-American, half-Panamanian, and speaks about identity and addresses common narratives about immigration. She earned her MFA from the Iowa Writers' Workshop and currently teaches at Northwestern University. Her work has appeared in The New Yorker and The Wall Street Journal, and she has been a guest on NPR. The Book of Unknown Americans is her third book. Learn more about Cristina at cristinahenriquez.com.