Join fellow readers for lively discussions and thoughtful conversations at our Non-Fiction Book Club! Each month, we explore a new non-fiction titles ranging from memoirs and biographies to history, science, and social issues. This group offers a welcoming space for curious minds to share perspectives, learn from one another, and engage with real-world topics through great books.

This month we're reading:
A River in Darkness: One Man's Escape from North Korea
By Masaji Ishikawa

"Half-Korean, half-Japanese, Masaji Ishikawa has spent his whole life feeling like a man without a country. This feeling only deepened when his family moved from Japan to North Korea when Ishikawa was just thirteen years old, and unwittingly became members of the lowest social caste. His father, himself a Korean national, was lured to the new Communist country by promises of abundant work, education for his children, and a higher station in society. But the reality of their new life was far from utopian.

"In this memoir translated from the original Japanese, Ishikawa candidly recounts his tumultuous upbringing and the brutal thirty-six years he spent living under a crushing totalitarian regime, as well as the challenges he faced repatriating to Japan after barely escaping North Korea with his life. A River in Darkness is not only a shocking portrait of life inside the country but a testament to the dignity—and indomitable nature—of the human spirit."

Copies of each month’s selection are available for checkout at the circulation desk. Come ready to reflect and connect!

Wednesday, May 13 | 2:30 - 3:30 p.m. | Conference Room | Adult
📍Dunn Library: 110 E Divine St. Dunn
❎No Registration Required - Seats available on a first-come basis