Community organizations invited to participate in Greenwich Reads Together

Representatives of community organizations are invited to submit their ideas for Greenwich Reads Together programming at an organizational meeting at Greenwich Library on Thursday, January 10 at 9:30 a.m. Greenwich Reads Together (GRT) is a community-wide reading experience which will engage all of Greenwich in exploring a single book. 

When the Emperor was Divine by Julie Otsuka has been chosen for Greenwich Reads Together 2013. Two companion books for younger readers were also chosen: Best Friends Forever: a WWII Scrapbook by Beverly Patt and The Eyes of the Emperor by Graham Salisbury. 

On a sunny day in Berkeley, California, in 1942, a woman sees a sign in a post office window, returns to her home, and matter-of-factly begins to pack her family's possessions. Like thousands of other Japanese Americans they have been reclassified, virtually overnight, as enemy aliens and are about to be uprooted from their home and sent to a dusty internment camp in the Utah desert. In this lean and devastatingly evocative novel, Julie Otsuka tells their story from five flawlessly realized points of view and conveys the exact emotional texture of their experience: the thin-walled barracks and barbed-wire fences, the omnipresent fear and loneliness, the unheralded feats of heroism. When the Emperor Was Divine is a work of enormous power that makes a shameful episode of our history as immediate as today's headlines. 

"We hope to develop engaging public programs that appeal to a diverse population. Our goal is to open thought provoking discussions and examine the book's themes in many different ways," said Carol Mahoney, Greenwich Library Director. 

The inaugural Greenwich Reads Together selection was Markus Zusak's groundbreaking novel, The Book Thief. The 2012 selection was Zeitoun by Dave Eggers. Last spring, almost 20 community organizations participated in Greenwich Reads Together, and more than 3,000 Greenwich residents participated in events, including a live Skype telecast with author Dave Eggers. Additional programs featured celebrated artists from literature, jazz, and photography, as well as renowned names from national news and government. Numerous adult, children and teen book discussions were held across Greenwich. 

Greenwich Reads Together will take place between April 22 and May 3. Copies of the book are available to borrow at Greenwich Library and may also be purchased at local bookstores including Diane's Books. 

For more information, or to register for this meeting, please contact Kate Petrov at Greenwich Library at (203) 625-6550.