The Claremont On the Same Page community book this year is The Refugees by Viet Tranh Nguyen, a collection of eight powerful short stories written over a period of 20 years, set in America and Vietnam.

These stories speak of ghosts, romantic upheaval, culture shock, and the push and pull on family ties. They are modern in telling, and the characters singular. There are surprising elements in this book that affect readers up close and personal.

The stories lend themselves to earnest discussions. Having a conversation with others about what we read often provides an opening into ideas, emotions, and understandings that we didn’t grasp during our initial reading, but will stay with us long after we leave the room.

A discussion about The Refugees will be held at the Claremont Library on Saturday, February 16, at 10 a.m. Light refreshments, in honor of Tet, the Vietnamese New Year, will be served. The discussion is free and open to the public Books will be available for purchase for $15.

Pulitzer Prize winning author Viet Tranh Nguyen will speak in conversation with Mai Elliott in the Benson Auditorium at Pitzer College on Saturday, March 2 at 2 p.m. Mark your calendars for this special event.