Join us for a book discussion of the 2024 Reading Across Rhode Island selection, Solito by Javier Zamora on Thursday, May 2 at 7 pm. This memoir tells the story of a young poet's harrowing migration from El Salvador to the United States at the age of nine.

We have ten copies to borrow at the Reference Desk for those who join the book discussion group. Copies are first-come, first-served. These copies must be returned to the Reference Desk after the program. The book is also available from the library catalog here. Please register below, in-person at the Reference Desk, or call 401-247-1920 x2.

Summary: 

Trip. My parents started using that word about a year ago--"one day, you'll take a trip to be with us. Like an adventure."

Javier's adventure is a three-thousand-mile journey from his small town in El Salvador, through Guatemala and Mexico, and across the U.S. border. He will leave behind his beloved aunt and grandparents to reunite with a mother who left four years ago and a father he barely remembers. Traveling alone except for a group of strangers and a coyote hired to lead them to safety, Javier's trip is supposed to last two short weeks.

At nine years old, all Javier can imagine is rushing into his parents' arms, snuggling in bed between them, living under the same roof again. He does not see the perilous boat trips, relentless desert treks, pointed guns, arrests and deceptions that await him; nor can he know that those two weeks will expand into two life-altering months alongside a group of strangers who will come to encircle him like an unexpected family.

About Reading Across Rhode Island: For over 15 years, Rhode Island’s only One Book, One State program has focused on a single book selected to stimulate meaningful discussions across our state. Once the selection is made, bookstores, schools, and libraries spread the word and build momentum toward our concluding event featuring sold-out addresses by the author. The Center provides thousands of books at no cost to schools and readers to fuel discourse that flows from connecting over a shared story and bolsters the program with an in-depth resource guide compiled by experienced teachers. The Center integrates dramatic and visual arts to enrich the reading experience. RARI penetrates every city and town in Rhode Island across all generations and classes of citizens. Reading Across Rhode Island is a statewide program run by the Rhode Island Center for the Book. 

Please visit the Rhode Island Center for the Book's website for more information about Reading Across Rhode Island and other events and programs, including the author event with Javier Zamora on Thursday, April 11, 2024, at the Bazarsky Hall, Salve Regina University in Newport, RI. Registration for this author event is forthcoming in March.