Join us for a librarian led discussion of Marcelo Hernandez Castillo’s, Children of the Land.

About the book:
This unforgettable memoir from a prize-winning poet about growing up undocumented in the United States recounts the sorrows and joys of a family torn apart by draconian policies and chronicles one young man’s attempt to build a future in a nation that denies his existence.

“You were not a ghost even though an entire country was scared of you. No one in this story was a ghost. This was not a story.”

When Marcelo Hernandez Castillo was five years old and his family was preparing to cross the border between Mexico and the United States, he suffered temporary, stress-induced blindness. Castillo regained his vision, but quickly understood that he had to move into a threshold of invisibility before settling in California with his parents and siblings. Thus began a new life of hiding in plain sight and of paying extraordinarily careful attention at all times for fear of being truly seen. Before Castillo was one of the most celebrated poets of a generation, he was a boy who perfected his English in the hopes that he might never seem extraordinary.

This discussion will be a live Zoom event and registration is required.
One hour before the event, a secure link will be emailed.
Copies of Children of the Land are available in multiple formats. Please call the library for assistance with locating or reserving a copy, 253-280-2800.

Tacoma Reads is a city-wide reading program that seeks to unite the community in dialogue around contemporary themes through reading a common text.

Tacoma Reads
Read the Book. Join the conversation.
#tacomareads