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“One City, One Story” –
Pasadena’s community-wide reading celebration is proud to announce
the selection of Leif Enger’s Peace Like A River, as the
book of choice for its second season.
A book selection committee that
included community members, professional writers and journalists, as
well as librarians, narrowed the list of thirty initial
recommendations to a select list of six titles. Following careful deliberation, Peace Like A River, by Leif Enger, was the ultimate selection as the book that all Pasadenans will be
reading as part of the citywide reading campaign coming this summer.
Peace
Like A River, Mr. Enger’s first novel, took the publishing
world by storm in 2001 and was on Time Magazine's list of top five
books for that year. It was also on the list of the Los Angeles
Times Best Books of 2001 and has appeared on the bestseller lists of
the Boston Globe, Denver Post, Los Angeles Times, Publishers Weekly
and San Francisco Chronicle. It
has also appeared on the New York Times Paperback Best Seller List.
Leif Enger is a reporter and producer for Minnesota Public
Radio who resides with his family in Minnesota.
In
Peace Like A River, Mr. Enger tells a tale about family, faith,
and miracles as seen through the eyes of an 11-year-old asthmatic
boy. It is a heartfelt moving story about the resilience of family
relationships. Mr.
Enger writes distinctive and hauntingly beautiful prose and sets a
pace that never falters. Reminiscent
of To Kill a Mockingbird
or works by Garrison Keillor, Peace
Like A River is a low-key charmer with classic Americana at its
heart.
This
year marks the second year for Pasadena’s “One City, One
Story” following the tremendous success of last year’s inaugural
project which saw over 5000 residents participate in the citywide
reading celebration.
“One City, One Story” is designed to broaden and deepen
an appreciation of reading and literature.
The project is also intended to engage the community in
dialogue and seeks to bring the Pasadena community together by
promoting tolerance and understanding about differing points of
view.
It is based on a successful program that started in Seattle
in 1996 and has spread to other cities across the country.
In
the words of Mayor Bill Bogaard, Honorary Committee Chair, “After
just one year, “One City, One Story” has become a Pasadena
tradition in which persons throughout the City await to participate.
I invite everyone to read Peace
Like A River and to participate in the dialogue about its
lessons of tolerance and
understanding".
Pasadena’s
program will offer a variety of
activities all centered on promoting reading as a communal
activity.
Events will include a community forum, as well as, a series
of neighborhood-level discussions throughout the city.
Volunteers are welcome to help lead discussions and assist in
program activities. Information will be available soon at the
“One City, One Story" web site at www.onecityonestory.com |
