As the highlight of the Wilmette Public Library’s 2014 One Book, Everybody Reads program, two-time National Book Award finalist Edwidge Danticat will visit Wilmette on May 4 to discuss her latest novel, Claire of the Sea Light. The event will take place at 2:00 p.m. at the Wilmette Junior High School, 620 Locust Road, Wilmette. The Book Stall at Chestnut Court will have books available for purchase, and Ms. Danticat will sign books after her talk.
Wilmette and Kenilworth residents who wish to attend the event may pick up a maximum of 2 free tickets at the Library’s Recent Arrivals Desk beginning Saturday, April 26. Any remaining tickets will be available to non-residents beginning Thursday, May 1. No phone reservations will be taken. Ticketed seats will be held until 5 minutes before the event, and, at that time, all unfilled seats will be open to the public.
Claire of the Sea Light is this year’s selection for One Book, Everybody Reads, the Library’s annual community-wide reading and book discussion program, funded by the Friends of the Wilmette Public Library. Each year, one book is featured, and residents are encouraged to read the selected title and participate in various events that explore the book and its themes.
Find out what's happening in Wilmette-Kenilworthwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The One Book program, which began in 2006 and takes place each spring, is designed to create opportunities for shared enjoyment of the selected book, enhance each individual’s reading experience, and introduce readers to a book and/or author with whom they might not otherwise be familiar. In order to facilitate the shared reading experience for its patrons, the Library owns almost 100 copies of Claire and the Sea Light in a variety of formats, including downloadable versions.
Claire of the Sea Light tells the story of a 7-year-old Haitian girl who disappears on the night her father gives her away in the hopes of securing a better life for his only child. Presented as a haunting and magical narrative of interwoven tales and lives, the individual stories all connect back to young Claire, her parents, and to the small fishing village where they live. In telling the tale, the stunning novel explores the roles of parent, child, neighbor, and friend as well as the themes of love, loss, and redemption.
Find out what's happening in Wilmette-Kenilworthwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Last spring, hundreds of local residents participated in the 2013 One Book, Everybody Reads program, which featured bestselling author Jess Walter’s novel, Beautiful Ruins. “Our community members love to weigh in on the book selected,” says Betty Giorgi, head of the Library’s Adult Services Department and member of the One Book committee. “Through the various programs that are part of the series, readers have lively discussions where they debate all aspects of the selected book,” she says. “The highly anticipated author visit presents the opportunity to ask the author direct questions about the book, and, for many readers, it’s the best part of the experience.”
In exploring Claire of the Sea Light, this year’s series of programs will focus on the themes of Haiti and Haitian culture. Events will begin at the end of March and run for five weeks, culminating with the author’s visit. Unless otherwise noted, all events are free and open to the public and will be held at the Wilmette Public Library Auditorium, 1242 Wilmette Avenue, Wilmette.
The 2014 One Book series begins on March 30 at 2:00 p.m. when Griselda Garibay, Advancement Coordinator for the Vincentian Family Haiti Initiative, presents “Haiti: An Insider’s Perspective.” Ms. Garibay will offer insight into Haiti's past, present and future and describe how the Vincentian Family Haiti Initiative works to empower Haitians to create better lives for themselves.
On April 8 at 10:30 a.m., the Library’s “Classics and Contemporary” Book Discussion group will feature Claire of the Sea Light. An Adult Services staff librarian will lead the book discussion.
An Earth Day program, “Trees that Feed: Making a Difference in Haiti and Beyond,” takes place on April 22 with a presentation by local residents Mary and Michael McLaughlin, founders of the global organization, Trees That Feed. The McLaughlins will describe their non-profit, which plants breadfruit trees in Haiti and other countries in an effort to feed people, create jobs, and benefit the environment. Co-sponsored by Go Green Wilmette, the program will be held at 2:00 p.m. and will be repeated at 7:00 p.m.
On April 27 at 2:00 p.m., Crossing Borders Music Collective presents "The Real Vodou: A Haitian Classical Music Concert,” a string quartet concert of vodou ("voodoo") songs and vodou-inspired compositions. Vodou formed the spiritual backbone for Haiti's revolution, which was the largest, most successful slave revolt in history. The concert will present folk songs and music by Haitian composers who were inspired by vodou rituals, ceremonies, and practices. Audio and visual materials that offer additional insight into the rich vodou culture will round out the program.
A second book discussion will take place on April 28 at 7:00 p.m. when Claire of the Sea Light is the selected title for the Library’s “Monday Night Discussion Group.” A staff librarian will facilitate the discussion.
Tastings of sweet and savory Haitian treats will be provided on May 1 at 7:00 p.m. when owners Yvon and Ernst Medard of Leonie’s Delice Bakery in Evanston present “A Taste of Haiti.” Seating for this program is limited. Register using the Library's online calendar or call (847) 256-6930 beginning April 12.
Hailed by many as the literary voice of Haiti and Haitian Americans, Edwidge Danticat was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and moved to New York at the age of 12 to join her parents, who had emigrated when she was a young child. Ms. Danticat published her first novel, Breath, Eyes, Memory, at the age of 25. Her next work, Krik? Krak!, was a National Book Award finalist in fiction, earning Ms. Danticat the distinction of being the youngest nominee ever named for the award.
Throughout her career, Ms. Danticat has explored the immigrant experience as well as the history and culture of Haiti and its people. Prolific in her craft, Ms. Danticat has written plays, short fiction, novels, memoirs, essays, and books for young adults. She has edited anthologies, worked in literary translation, written an autobiography, and co-produced documentary films.
Ms. Danticat also has been a visiting professor of Creative Writing at New York University and the University of Miami. She has been an advocate for immigration reform, writing and speaking out about the treatment of immigration detainees. In addition, she has been a frequent contributor to various periodicals, including The New Yorker, The New York Times, and Granta. In 2012, she played a leading role in the feature film Stones in the Sun, which was filmed in New York and Haiti.
Ms. Danticat has received numerous awards throughout her career. Among her many honors, she is the winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award, recipient of a MacArthur Fellow Genius Grant, a PEN/Faulkner Award finalist, winner of the Langston Hughes Medal, recipient of the Woman of Achievement Award from Barnard College, and one of the New York Times Magazine’s “30 Under 30” Creative People to Watch. She currently lives in Miami with her husband and two daughters.
Among its many honors, Claire of the Sea Light was named as one of Library Journal’s Top Ten Books of 2013, NPR’s Best Books of 2013, Publishers Weekly’s Best Fiction Books of 2013, and the Washington Post’s Notable Fiction of 2013.
Community partners for the 2014 One Book, Everybody Reads program include The Book Stall at Chestnut Court, Go Green Wilmette, League of Women Voters of Wilmette, Make It Better, NS (Modern Luxury for the North Shore), Rotary Club of Wilmette, Sheridan Road, Trees That Feed, Village of Kenilworth, Village of Wilmette, Wilmette Beacon, Wilmette Chamber of Commerce, Wilmette Harbor Rotary Club, Wilmette Life, Wilmette Public Schools District 39, and Wilmette-Kenilworth Patch.
In addition to last year’s Beautiful Ruins, previous One Book selections include State of Wonder by Ann Patchett (2012), Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann (2011), Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout (2010), The Man Who Loved China by Simon Winchester (2009), Loving Frank by Nancy Horan (2008), A Hope in the Unseen by Ron Suskind (2007), and Before You Know Kindness by Chris Bohjalian (2006).
For more information about this spring’s One Book, Everybody Reads program, visit www.wilmettelibrary.info/onebook or call (847) 256-6930.
