Under the direction of an expert facilitator, read and share your thoughts on five books that explore the stories of people who have experienced either voluntary migration or have fled their homes as refugees.
This is a past program
This program took place on
February–June 2024
About the Class
The winter 2024 book group selections explore the stories of the people who have experienced either voluntary migration or have fled their homes as refugees. These stories shed light on particular issues surrounding migration and the refugee crisis.
FEBRUARY: Dwell Time: A Memoir of Art, Exile, and Repair by Rosa Lowinger—An immigrant’s story seen through an entirely new lens, connecting the material to the personal and helping us see what is possible when one opens one’s heart to another person’s wounds.
MARCH: The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride—Rooted in a Pennsylvania neighborhood where immigrant Jews and African Americans live side by side, The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store delves into the experience of those who lived on the margins of white, Christian America.
APRIL: Kantika by Elizabeth Graver—A dazzling Sephardic multigenerational saga that moves from Istanbul to Barcelona, Havana, and New York, exploring displacement, endurance, and family as home.
MAY: Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue—When Jende Jonga, a Cameroonian immigrant living in Harlem, and his wife Neni land jobs working for Clark and Cindy Edwards they enter a world of great power and privilege that conceals troubling secrets.
JUNE: The Wind Knows My Name by Isabel Allende—Intertwining past and present, The Wind Knows My Name tells the tale of two unforgettable characters in search of family and home. It is both a testament to the sacrifices that parents make and a love letter to the children who survive the most unfathomable dangers—and never stop dreaming.
About the Facilitator
Stacey Bieber attended Boston University for both her undergraduate studies and law school. She also has a Master of Law degree in Taxation from New York University. Following graduate school, she and her husband, Mark, moved to Los Angeles for her clerkship and never looked back.
After having three children, Bieber decided to follow her passion and returned to school earning a Master of Arts in Literature from California State University, Northridge, where she currently teaches in the English Department.
Facilitating book clubs allows Bieber to combine her love for reading, learning, and teaching without the grading. In addition to teaching, she loves spending time with her family, hiking, traveling, and learning from her students.
Dates and Times
GROUP 1: Tuesdays, 1:00–3:00 pm
February 13, March 12, April 16, May 14, June 11
GROUP 2: Wednesdays, 10:00 am–12:00 pm
February 14, March 20, April 17, May 15, June 12
GROUP 3: Wednesdays, 1:00–3:00 pm
February 14, March 20, April 17, May 15, June 12
GROUP 4 (ONLINE): Fridays, 10:00 am–12:00 pm (PT)
February 16, March 22, April 19, May 17, June 14
Related to This Class
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The American Library by Yinka Shonibare CBE RA
On view through September 1, 2024
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