WestportREADS Book Pub at Walrus Alley

Join The Westport Library at Walrus Alley for a community discussion of , this year’s WestportREADS selection. Bring your appetite for conversation and delicious eats – the kitchen will be open! Registration is strongly suggested.

Join members of the community to talk about Hernan Diaz's book about a young Swedish boy who finds himself penniless and alone in California in the age of the Gold Rush. Relive the perilous journey of the American West, reflect upon the ways in which Diaz subverts the Western genre, and connect with other members of your community through this compelling coming-of-age story.

Diaz told The Paris Review, "The experience of foreignness has determined my entire life. I wanted to recreate that feeling. In doing so, I tried to transcend the obvious fact that the protagonist is a foreigner. I tried to make genre and even language itself feel foreign. But at the same time, this is a very American story, which makes us remember that foreignness is part of the American experience to begin with...I couldn’t think of a better way to say what I think about this country—which I love despite its enormous flaws—than through this book."

For copies of the book, please call 203-291-4807. New participants are always welcome!

About WestportREADS

Created in 2002, WestportREADS is a way for the Westport community to bond over a book and is designed to deepen our community’s engagement in literature.

Throughout January and February, there will be events and programs centered on In the Distance, book discussions, celebrations, and much more. It is a chance to not only read a great book but to engage with the community, meet new people, and celebrate our shared love of reading.

WestportREADS is funded by the estate of Jerry A. Tishman.

Host or Publisher The Westport Library