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Current Selection: Say You're One of Them Each story in this jubilantly acclaimed collection pays testament to the wisdom and resilience of children, even in the face of the most agonizing circumstances. A family living in a makeshift shanty in urban Kenya scurries to find gifts of any kind for the impending Christmas holiday. A Rwandan girl relates her family’s struggles to maintain a facade of normalcy amid unspeakable acts. A young brother and sister cope with their uncle’s attempt to sell them into slavery. Aboard a bus filled with refugees—a microcosm of today’s Africa—a Muslim boy summons his faith to bear a treacherous ride across Nigeria. Through the eyes of childhood friends the emotional toll of religious conflict in Ethiopia becomes viscerally clear. Uwem Akpan's debut signals the arrival of a breathtakingly talented writer who gives a matter-of-fact reality to the most extreme circumstances in stories that are nothing short of transcendent. |
Oprah's Book Club
"I love books! I think books open windows to the world for all of us."–Oprah Winfrey
Oprah's Book Club partners with the American Library Association to distribute thousands of free Book Club selections, donated by the publisher, to school, public, and community college libraries nationwide. The American Library Association is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 65,000 members. Its mission is to promote the highest quality library and information services and public access to information.
In 2005, the ALA received an Angel Network Award in honor of Oprah's Book Club. With this $50,000 grant, the ALA's Young Adult Library Services Association has created a program to distribute books to troubled teens in juvenile facilities and alternative high schools that are served by library outreach efforts.
A Brief History of Oprah’s Book Club
On September 17, 1996, Oprah announced the start of Oprah's Book Club, a reading club featured on “The Oprah Winfrey Show.” She chose works of fiction regularly and invited the author and selected viewers to join her for an intimate follow-up discussion. In April 2002, Oprah put the Book Club on hold until June 2003, when she re-launched it with John Steinbeck's East of Eden, which became the 47th selection to skyrocket to the top of bestseller lists.
With hopes of creating the biggest book club in the world along with the re-launch in June 2003, viewers were given the opportunity to join Oprah's Book Club online at Oprah.com. To date, there are more than 1.8 million members who are offered in-depth study guides, and expert Q and A. Book Club members can also connect with other readers from their local area or create book clubs online with people from around the world.
Oprah's Book Club has been one of the most closely watched and heralded events on television by the general public, as well as the media and publishing industries. Recognizing her dedication to promoting the joys and benefits of reading, industry leaders have credited Oprah with rejuvenating the publishing industry. Newsweek named her the most important person in the world of books and media in 1997 and The National Book Foundation awarded Oprah its 50th Anniversary Gold Medal in 1999. In 2003, the Association of American Publishers presented her with its highest award, the "AAP Honors."
Visit the Oprah’s Book Club website where you can discuss book club selections with other readers, take online web classes of the current selection, search for a reading group in your area, find tips for hosting a book club, and much more!