Description

The 2023 Big Read is here!

This year's theme is Reconsidering the American Dream. Our aim is to have critical conversations around the idea of the "American Dream" and what it means to each of us today. In general, we'll be asking: How have our personal definitions of the "American Dream" stayed the same or changed over time? Does the "American Dream" seem achievable? How do mythologies around the "American Dream" obscure or illuminate inequalities around geography/region, race, gender, class, and national origin that exist in the U.S.? What might new "American dreams" look like if we center the stories of people in small towns, working people, women, immigrants, young people, people of color, etc.?

Our first read is Heartland: A Memoir of Working Hard and Being Broke in the Richest Country on Earth by Sarah Smarsh. We’ll discuss the first half in December and the second half in January. A limited number of free copies will be available. Library copies will be available as well.

This book club is intended for adults. No registration is required.

For more information, please contact Britta at brittak@dkpl.org or (815) 756-9568 ext. 2100.