I f youre in a book club and youre anything like me, you most likely find that although its exciting to be a part of a healthy discussion, the thrill of deciding which book to recommend when its your turn, can be worrysome when you dont know which book to choose, this can potentially upset your week, it can lead to procrastination, or anxiety, and more than a few trips to the. Do you feel different about immigration after reading this book. Shanthi sekarans new novel, lucky boy, imagines the fate of two families brought together by a child who is in the u. Shanthi sekarans literary voice has become louder with her second novel, lucky boy after 2009s the prayer room. A wrenching emotional battle ensues between soli, an undocumented mexican single mother, and kavya, an indianamerican. Lucky boy free book discussion at green apple books.
Lucky boy by susan boase meet your next favorite book. What might life be like for a young, immigrant girl from cuba. Therefore it need a free signup process to obtain the book. Shanthi sekarans second novel, lucky boy, was released at the start of the year, days before donald trump was sworn in as president. When soli castrovaldez leaves her small mexican village for the united states, she endures the difficult journey but arrives pregnant and undocumented. The main mission by building bridges between communities and generations through the reading and most importantly the discussion of one book, the hope is to make reading a. After a lifetime of being teased, ignored, and shunned, perry is suddenly everybodys best.
This novel takes place in the 1960s in queens, new york. Lucky boy cuts to the human heart of the immigration. We will be discussing a redemptive fictional story about the lives of two. Which of the two mothers in the story do you most identify with. Lucky boy is shanthi sekarans 2017 novel that follows two mothers who are bound together. Its the wrenching story of two women and the child they both. Podhu and aruwa african folktale as told by humphrey harman. Lucky boy is a sweeping novel featuring two alternating stories. Jan 20, 2017 in her new novel lucky boy, shanthi sekaran has drawn the truest map of incipient motherhood i have yet read.
It is a timely book, but the immigrant experience is not new to author sekaran. This will give you little something extra to discuss. Before world war ii, her greatgrandparents, nechuma and sol, owned a thriving business and with their five childr. However, keeping books on a smaller scale eliminates the stress of having to finish a massive book in a few weeks. Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of g. She began writing the book, an affecting and exceptional. Theres something for everyone in this wonderful novel. People a fiercely compassionate story about the bonds and the bounds of motherhood and, ultimately, of love. Weeks later, she arrives in berkeley, california, dazed by first love found then lost, and pregnant. Georgia hunter has written an epic novel, we were the lucky ones, based on a true family story. We were the lucky ones is the harrowing and unlikely story of a jewish family literally torn from each other and flung to. Just when soli thinks she might make it in america, she gets caught and put in immigration detention with a likely outcome of. They have been trying for years to conceive a child of their own, and despite rishis. Always on the go, to work and to school, and shopping on the weekends, the.
She gives voice to every anxiety, every fierce need, capturing the vulnerability. The novel lucky boy and a timely story of immigration and. Lucky boy is an emotional journey that will leave you certain of the redemptive beauty of this world. Jun 03, 2008 money is tight, but perry does his best to maintain his routine. Sep 16, 2010 thomas buergenthal, now a judge in the international court of justice in, tells his astonishing experiences as a young boy in his memoir a lucky child. The main mission by building bridges between communities and generations through the reading and most importantly the discussion of one book, the hope is to make reading a lifelong pursuit and to build a more. A letter from shanthi sekaran, author of lucky boy. Separated first from his mother and then his father, buergenthal managed by his wits and some remarkable strokes of luck to survive on his. Set on a struggling tobacco plantation in virginia, the water dancer follows hiram walker, a young mixedrace boy born into slavery who discovers he possesses a superhuman ability when he falls into a river. Weeks later she arrives on her cousins doorstep in berkeley, ca, dazed by. Check out our discussion questions below, but beware spoilers ahead. The heartbreaking journeys of these two women, bound by love of the baby boy, are the center of the novel. The differing cultures of the mothers was a fascinating contrast and produced some interesting discussions in. This book was interesting because it presented the protagonists stories, with no easily identifiable good guys or bad guys among the main characters.
Dec 27, 2017 lucky boy by shanthi sekaran if your book club loves emotional stories doesnt mind crying in front of each other, than lucky boy is the perfect diverse read for you. He arrived auschwitzat age 10 after surviving two ghettos and a labor camp. Welcome,you are looking at books for reading, the lucky boy, you will able to read or download in pdf or epub books and notice some of author may have lock the live reading for some of country. You definitely dont want to miss this striking debut novel. Eighteen years old and fizzing with optimism, solimar castrovaldez embarks on a perilous journey across the mexican border. Our book club read the book and found it both painful and intriguing to read. Feb 08, 2016 rules are meant to be broken, of course, so this doesnt always have to be the case. Soli, an eighteenyearold woman, enters the united states illegally from mexico and an. Is the american dream something todays immigrants can realize. If your book club loves emotional stories doesnt mind crying in front of each other, than lucky boy is the perfect diverse read for you. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. If youre ready to start a book club, heres 40 of the best book club questions, for fiction.
Sometimes life can get so hectic that youre lucky if you find time to shower let alone read your book club book in time. Lucky boy shanthi sekaran, 2017 penguin publishing 480 pp. Did you like the book immediately or did it take you some time to become committed. Jan 21, 2017 shanthi sekarans new novel, lucky boy, imagines the fate of two families brought together by a child who is in the u. A letter from shanthi sekaran, author of lucky boy solimar castro valdez is eighteen and drunk on optimism when she embarks on a perilous journey across the usmexican border. A gripping tale of adventure and searing reality, lucky boy gives voice to two mothers bound together by their love for one lucky boy. Cristina henriquez, author of the book of unknown americans.
Mar 22, 2017 lucky boy is about adoption, motherhood, and what it means to be an immigrant legal or not. Lucky boy is about adoption, motherhood, and what it means to be an immigrant legal or not. She lives in the dirtpoor town of popocalco in mexico, where the santa clara is the patron saint of television and eye disease, and everybody is in a rush to leave. Aug 21, 2017 ive been in a lot of book clubs, and i know its not always easy to get a conversation going on a book.
Shanthi sekaran and lucky boy at the bee book club the. Miller and lucky boy if lucky boy could talk in words. Lucky boy by shanthi sekaran reading guidebook club. Visit our book club section for more book club picks. Interview with shanthi sekaran, author of lucky boy sfgate. Discussion questions book club recommendationsdiscussion. Have a chapter of a new book sent to your email each day to see if you like the book enough to check it out from your library. After giving birth to nacho, soli thinks im a mother in berkeley, but im no berkeley mother p.
Lucky boy is a moving and revelatory ode to the everchanging borders of love. The first thing i always do is visit publisher and authors websites and look for a readers guide. Is there anything unique about this book such as writing style, structure, or subject matter. The boy was, indeed, lucky to have two women who truly loved him and wanted the best for him. Lucky boy is a 2017 novel written by shanthi sekaran and her second book. Sekaran is a master of drawing detailed, richly layered characters and relationships.
Lucky boy effectively puts human faces on an issue that is often discussed solely in broad, general terms. Separated first from his mother and then his father, buergenthal managed by his wits and some remarkable strokes of luck to survive on his own. Shanthi sekaran is a wonderful writer lyrical and astute, compassionate and fearless and lucky boy is a heartfelt and moving novel that challenges our notions of motherhood and the true meaning of home. It is about a tenyearold girl who moves there from cuba with her family. Sep 29, 2017 shanthi sekarans second novel, lucky boy, was released at the start of the year, days before donald trump was sworn in as president. Usually, there are some interesting facts or pictures about the book. There are no bad guys in this story, no obvious hero. Please double check event information with the event organizer as events can be canceled, details can change after they are added to our calendar, and errors do occur. Matt christophers classic chapter book the lucky baseball bat, though written in 1954, has many exciting moments for elementary students fascinated by the game of baseball. Make a prediction about the books title, lucky broken girl. If it available for your country it will shown as book reader and user fully subscribe will benefit by having full.
Dec 21, 2018 i have been reading san francisco public librarys one city one book an initiative to get the community to read the same book at the same time and then discuss in book groups. Discuss how lucky boy addresses the classic idea of the american dream. A wrenching emotional battle ensues between soli, an undocumented mexican single mother, and kavya, an indianamerican chef who cannot have. The first centers on solimar castro valdez, or soli as shes called, a young woman. Lucky boy presents two very different american stories, tied together by the fate of a child. Lucky boy is shanthi sekarans 2017 novel that follows two mothers who.
My mind went immediately to vikram seths a suitable boy, which i loved and is admittedly three times longer, but it took me weeks to wend my way through. On one side is solimar, affectionately known as soli. If your new years resolution is to read more but you cant find the time, audiobooks are the answer. Soli is 18 and drunk on optimism when she embarks on a perilous journey across the u. Thomas buergenthal, now a judge in the international court of justice in, tells his astonishing experiences as a young boy in his memoir a lucky child. Any page references refer to a usa edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions. Immigration and infertility bring two mothers together over. Register and pick up books at the adult services desk beginning april 16. Immigration and infertility bring two mothers together. Ive found that the best book club discussion questions are ones that are openended and that get people to share their personal opinions.
Northbrook public library 1201 cedar lane northbrook, illinois 60062 8472726224. Lucky boy captured me in its opening pages and held me for its the july read for my book club, but no one mentioned at our last meeting that it weighs in at nearly 500 pages. Jan 10, 2017 the novel lucky boy focuses on two women and two very different pictures of immigration. The novel lucky boy and a timely story of immigration. Sekaran has written a pageturner thats touching and all too real. A wrenching emotional battle ensues between soli, an undocumented mexican single mother, and kavya, an indianamerican chef who cannot have children, when solis infant son is placed in kavyas care during an immigration detention. Nancy buehler leads a discussion of lucky boy by shanthi sekaran. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of lucky boy by shanthi sekaran. The novel lucky boy focuses on two women and two very different pictures of immigration. I have been reading san francisco public librarys one city one book an initiative to get the community to read the same book at the same time and then discuss in book groups.