Read Against the Machine! is a nonfiction book club exploring social, cultural, historical, and political topics. Selections highlight varied perspectives and encourage readers to think critically about the ideas and narratives that shape contemporary life.
In May, we are reading Farewell to Manzanar by Jeanne Makatsuki Houston.
"During World War II the incarceration camp called Manzanar was hastily created in the high mountain desert country of California, east of the Sierras. Its purpose? To house thousands of Japanese Americans.
In Farewell to Manzanar, Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston recalls life at Manzanar through the eyes of the child she was and the experiences of her family. She relays the mundane and remarkable details of daily life during an extraordinary period of American history: The wartime imprisonment of civilians, most native-born Americans, in their own country, without trial, and by their fellow Americans.
She tells of her fear, confusion, and bewilderment as well as the dignity and resourcefulness of people in oppressive and demeaning circumstances. Jeanne delivers a powerful first-person account that reveals her search for the meaning of Manzanar."
Join us for discussion on the fourth Thursday of the month!
A limited number of copies of the book selection are available to check out at the circulation desk downstairs.