The War of the Golden Stool As we look into Akua’s and Willie’s stories in Homegoing, we enter the 20th century. In Africa, the political scene was once again changing. After the Anglo-Ashanti wars at the end of the 19th century the British tried to remain in control by appointing colonial administrators who would work …
Tag Archives: Big Read 2023
Behind the Book: Abena and H
We have officially hit the second half of the book with this section! This week we are going to focus on events and culture around the section of Abena, daughter of James Richard Collins and Akosua Mensah as well as the section on H, the son of Kojo Freeman and Anna Foster. Two of the …
Behind the Book: James and Kojo
As we look deeper into the third generation in the book Homegoing, we are taking a deeper look into Asante funeral traditions, the Anglo-Ashanti wars, and the Fugitive Slave Acts.
Behind the Book: Quey and Ness
Looking into the lives of Quey and Ness of the second generation, let’s dive deeper into food, family ties, and slavery in Homegoing.
A Look Behind the Book: The Akan People and Culture in Homegoing
Our Big Read 2023 season has officially started! If you haven’t seen this year’s selection yet, visit our Big Read website and check them out! We have loved hearing feedback from the community on everyone’s thoughts so far, and we are excited to hear more from you all. Hopefully, you have gotten your hands on …
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“It Started Ten Years Ago”
As we launch our newest books, Professor Deb Van Duinen reflects on the journey of starting the Big Read in our community.
Why You Should Participate in the Big Read
Whether you are new to the Big Read Lakeshore program or need more reasons to help convince a friend to check us out, we invite you to consider some good reasons to join us this year! So, what is the Big Read, and why should you get involved? The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) …
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Remembering: The Last Four Years
As we get closer to the announcement for our 10th-anniversary book, we want to finish looking back at the books that we have read together as a community over the last couple of years. In 2019, our 6th year of Big Read Lakeshore, we visited the Mirabal sisters during the Trujillo dictatorship in the Dominican …
Remembering: The First Five Years
Here at the Big Read, we are excited to be getting closer to announcing our book for the 2023 program. As we approach the tenth anniversary of the Big Read Lakeshore program, we want to take the time to look back at where we started with the first five books. The Big Read started in …