The book chosen this year for the Chicago Public Library’s One Book, One Chicago program is Tommy Orange’s novel “There.”
As announced Wednesday afternoon by CPL at a ceremony at the Harold Washington Library Center attended by Deputy Mayor Jennifer Johnson and library commissioner Chris Brown, Orange’s 2018 book will be the 34th in the series and encourages all Chicagoans to read the same selection of books together. in the next few months.
One Book, One Chicago, was released in 2001 with Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird”; some years it has had both spring and autumn titles. Last year’s book was Art Spiegelman’s Maus.
“There” was Orange’s debut novel and a 2019 Pulitzer Prize finalist. It is about a community of Native Americans living in and around Oakland, California. He is a member of the Orange, Cheyenne, and Arapaho tribes and was raised in the Oakland area.
According to the Chicago Public Library, upcoming One Book, One Chicago program events include citywide book clubs and discussion groups, history presentations, film screenings, walking tours, storytelling, dance and food performances that “reflect the voices of Native Americans.” Orange’s keynote presentation on November 15 at 6 p.m. Harold Washington Library Center, 400 S. State St.; more information at www.chipublib.org
dgeorge@chicagotribune.com