Previous Books
2011-2012
Outcast United
by Warren St. James
Warren St. John expands a story that began as a 2007 New York Times article about the Fugees, a soccer program for boys from families of refugees from war-torn nations who were resettled in Clarkston, Georgia.
Luma Mufleh, the Fugee's coach came to the U.S. from Jordan to attend Smith College and stayed in the U.S. despite her family's expectations. The book follows the challenges the coach and these young people face (which include confronting prejudice, finding funding and a field on which to practice, and living with memories of tragedy in their home countries) as well as the triumphs they achieve on and off the field.
2010-2011
Prisoner of Tehran
by Marina Nemat
In 1982, sixteen-year-old Marina Nemat was arrested on false charges by Iranian Revolutionary Guards and tortured in Tehran’s notorious Evin prison. Her memoir describes political upheaval, repression, and resettlement and explores the circumstances that may force people to leave their home country.
2009-2010
A Lesson Before Dying
by Ernest J. Gaines
In his National Book award-winning book, Ernest Gaines addressed topics that include race, the value of education, inequity in the criminal justice system, and human dignity—areas that are central to the work and values of the College of Education and Human Development.
2008-2009
An Ordinary Man
by Paul Rusesabagina
As Rwanda was thrown into chaos during the 1994 genocide, Rusesabagina, a hotel manager, turned the luxurious Hotel Milles Collines into a refuge for more than 1,200 Tutsi and moderate Hutu refugees, while fending off their would-be killers with a combination of diplomacy and deception.