Bestselling Author Joins Pierce County READS In June

From Pierce County Library: The Pierce County Library System continues a Year of Reading with the next installment of Pierce County READS featuring Imbolo Mbue, author of the New York Times’ best-seller and Oprah Book Club selection “Behold the Dreamers.”

“Pierce County READS is a community one-book program intended to bring together people from throughout the community,” said Library Executive Director Georgia Lomax. “The real-life story of Imbolo Mbue speaks to all of us as she tells her journey of challenges and triumphs to pursuit a life and definition of the American Dream. This is truly a story to bring our entire community together.”

Pierce County READS is highlighted by a free author talk and book signing with Mbue Sunday, June 9, at 2 p.m. at Pioneer Park Pavilion at 330 South Meridian in Puyallup. This Pierce County READS event is presented in partnership with the Puyallup Public Library.

Pierce County READS events will also include several book discussions. Pierce County READS brings together Pierce County residents to engage, read and talk about great books.

This summer’s selection, “Behold the Dreamers,” explores the real-life and first-hand accounts of marriage, immigration, class, race and the American Dream through the experiences of a young Cameroonian couple making a new life in New York just as the Great Recession hits.

Mbue, a native of the seaside town of Limbe, Cameroon, has earned a number of accolades for her debut novel which propelled her to stardom after being selected for Oprah’s Book Club in 2016.

The novel has been translated into 12 languages, adapted into an opera, is about to become a stage play, and was recently optioned for a movie.

Doors for the author event June 9 open at 1 p.m. Seating is first come, first served.

People may purchase books at the event from King’s Books.

The Library System has declared 2019 A Year of Reading, to help people offset the pressures of daily life and help them relax. A Year of Reading will include author visits, personal reading shoppers in libraries and online through the Library’s My Next Read service, e-newsletters with reading recommendations, Read with a Dog to build children’s reading skills, and other ways to engage and connect people with reading.

Pierce County READS events are free thanks to the generous sponsorship of the Pierce County Library Foundation.

For more information on this summer’s featured author, Imbolo Mbue, her book and upcoming Pierce County READS events visit www.piercecountyreads.org.