One Book, One Conference Event Planned for Ontario
One of the exciting innovations for this year's CLA conference is a spotlight on Monkey Hunting by Cristina Garcia, who will speak during the closing plenary session on Monday, November 17.
Monkey Hunting begins in China in 1857 as Chen Pan signs a contract to go to Cuba and finds himself a slave on a sugarcane plantation. Just as one works a jigsaw puzzle by placing pieces here then there, Garcia skillfully moves back and forth among Chen Pan, his granddaughter Chen Fang, who is raised as a boy so she will be educated, and his great-great-grandson Domingo, who leaves Cuba to become an American citizen, finds racism in New York, and then fights in Vietnam.
Publisher's Weekly says, "Garcia's richly patterned novel is a mini-epic,a moving chorus of distinct voices."
During a social/food event on Sunday evening, November 16, small groups will discuss the story and its themes. Do try to read this wonderful book before the conference. Many of the discussion questions are general, intended to whet your appetite for the book if you haven't read it. For example, leaving a crate of fresh papaya at a gravesite may seem like a strange funeral ritual, but what customs do we observe that might seem strange to another culture? If space permits, there may be additional discussions throughout the conference. Watch for announcements of these. Enjoy the book!
Conference registration information is now available on the CLA conference page. Garcia's presentation and the book discussion are sponsored by the California Center for the Book.
Diane Gustafson
Southwestern College Library