One. Burlington. One really big book club. Book. One. 2015 ... Visit www.bpl.on.
ca/one-book for the complete discussion guide. One Book One Burlington | One ...
One Book One Burlington 2015
One
really big book club
Acclaim for Requiem
Table of contents
“Requiem is an exploration of the places history is stored: letters, art, music, literature, and the human body itself. It’s also an expertly crafted sketch of a sympathetic character’s vivid, complex, and subtle life.” Quill & Quire
Requiem...................................2
“Requiem delicately probes the complex adjustments we make to live with our sorrows, adjustments both necessary and confining.”
Related Reads..........................8
The Washington Post
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About the Book.........................3 For Discussion..........................4 Upcoming Events.....................6
What Frances is Reading.......10 One Book Resources............. 11
About the book Artist Bin Okuma is left to deal with the shock after the recent and sudden loss of his wife. Pulled into memories he has avoided for much of his life, he drives across the country: to finish his final works for an upcoming exhibit, to revisit the places that have shaped him, and to possibly reunite with his biological father, a man whose fateful decision almost destroyed his family 50 years earlier. With the persuasive voice of his wife in his head, and the echo of their great love in his heart, he embarks on an unforgettable journey that encompasses art and music, love and hope. Requiem is a beautifully written and evocative novel about a family torn apart by the past and a man’s present search for solace. Adapted from HarperCollinsCanada
One Book 2016 What would you pick as Burlington’s next One Book? Be part of the community team that decides! Recruitment for the 2016 One Book One Burlington Community Selection Team is underway. Complete the online application at www.bpl.on.ca
A few words from Maureen Barry, CEO Frances Itani gracefully weaves a multilayered tale of two times in our One Book One Burlington 9th edition selection. We meet present-day Bin, a celebrated artist haunted by the bleak landscape of a future without his mate. And we meet Bin of the past, a child forcibly uprooted from his home, confined in a wartime internment camp, and severed from his family. Readers travel along with Bin on his voyage back, in time and in place, to a destination of redemption and peace—and it’s a journey worth taking.
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Book Discussion Guide 1. When Bin and his family were forced from their home, they carried with them only a few belongings, including a rice pot and a dismantled stove. If you were ordered to abandon your home with only two hours’ notice, what would you take with you? ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ 2. What did you discover about this period in Canadian history – both about the treatment of Japanese Canadians and about their strength and resilience in the face of it – through Bin’s memories of his time at the camp?________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ 3. In what ways did Bin’s adoption by Okuma-san change his life’s course? What did he gain? What did he lose?______________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ 4
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4. If you were to embark of a physical journey to a place important to your memory, where would it be? What answers would you seek there? _______________________
______________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ 5. How accurate was First Father’s prediction of Bin’s fate? How might having your fate foretold affect your self-image, positively or negatively? How might it affect your life decisions? ____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ 6. If you had been through everything that Bin had, would you make the journey he did? Would you be able to forgive? Do you believe Bin ever forgives? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ Visit www.bpl.on.ca/one-book for the complete discussion guide. One Book One Burlington | One really big book club
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Upcoming Events Meet the Author: Frances Itani Tue October 27
7pm
Burlington Golf & Country Club Born in Belleville and living in Ottawa, Frances Itani, writer, poet and essayist, has published 16 books ranging from fiction and poetry to a children’s book. Frances is a three-time winner of the CBC Literary Award and was a finalist for the 2014 Giller Prize. Prior to writing, Frances taught and practised nursing for 8 years. She has lived in seven Canadian provinces, England, USA, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Croatia, and Cyprus, and has travelled extensively throughout Europe and Japan. You won’t want to miss
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www.bpl.on.ca/one-book
Photo credit: Norman Takeuchi
this opportunity to meet one of Canada’s top literary talents. Advanced tickets required.
Oishīdesu: A Taste of Japan Tue August 11 6.30-9pm Partake in an authentic 3-course Japanese meal in a charming downtown Burlington setting. $40/person inclusive (except alcohol). Tickets on sale at all branches. Mikado Restaurant, 415 Elizabeth Street The Life and Music of Beethoven Tue September 15 7-9pm @Central Abigail Richardson-Schulte, Composer in Residence with the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra, talks about the life and music of Beethoven. Do-It-Yourself Sushi Mon October 5 6.30-8.30pm Try the culinary art of making sushi during this hands-on workshop with Chef Shoji. $20/ person. Please bring an apron. Maximum 15 participants. Register in person by Sep 28.
Where Do You Come From? Tue October 13 7-9.30pm Create works made of collage and painting in the style of Japanese Canadian Norman Takeuchi. Your photos of yourself/family members will be copied and used in your creation. We supply all other materials. No painting experience required. $35/person. Call 905.632.7796 ext 307 to register. Limited space. Art Gallery of Burlington Sumi-e Japanese Brush Painting Thu October 15 6.30-8.30pm @Central A demonstration of East Asian ink wash painting. Limited opportunity to try the techniques. Maximum 20 participants. Japanese Language & Culture Tue October 20 6.30-8.30pm @Central Learn some conversational Japanese and be introduced to Japanese customs and tips for travelling to Japan.
Screeners Special Presentation: One Week Tue October 6 7-9pm @Central Canadian film starring Joshua Jackson as a young man confronted with his mortality, taking Introduction to the Kimono Sat October 24 10am-noon @Central a cross-country road trip on a vintage Learn about its history, the different types, motorcycle. Free. and how this traditional Japanese garment is Sleeping Tigers: The Aashi Baseball Story worn. Maximum 20 participants. Register by Thu October 8 7-9pm @Central calling 905.639.3611 ext 1321. This documentary tells the story of the Vancouver-based Asahi baseball team, unbeatable before being sent to internment camps during WWII, and how they survived by playing baseball in the camps. Free.
Visit www.bpl.on.ca or pick up the fall BPL Guide for program details
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Related Reads for Adults Fiction Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford The Secret of the Nightingale Palace by Dana Sachs Obasan by Joy Kogawa
Non Fiction Silver Like Dust : One family’s Story of America’s Japanese Internment by Kimi Cunningham Teaching in Canadian Exile by Frank Moritsugu and the Ghost Town Teachers Historical Society
Related Reads for Teens Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys Dance of the Banished by Marsha Skrypuch Almost Japanese by Sarah Sheard 8
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Related Reads for Kids Picture Books Naomi’s Tree by Joy Kogawa The Conductor by Laёtitia Devernay The Big Woods Orchestra by Guido Van Genechten
Chapter Books Torn Apart: The Internment Diary of Mary Kobayashi by Susan Aihoshi Dash by Kirby Larson Cherry Blossom Winter by Jennifer Maruno
Related Movies One Week The Pianist Snow Falling on Cedars
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What Frances Itani is currently reading...
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www.bpl.on.ca/one-book
Related resources Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre - www.centre.nikkeiplace.org Houses archival materials, art and artefacts relating to Japanese Canadian heritage, with a mandate to promote a better understanding and appreciation of Japanese Canadian culture. CBC Archives - www.cbc.ca/archives/categories/war-conflict/second-world-war/ CBC has excellent digital archives; this site includes radio coverage of speeches reflecting the racism of the period during the Second World War. Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre – www.jccc.on.ca Recounts the history of Japanese Canadians over one century.
One Book One Burlington partners Burlington Transit Art Gallery of Burlington Mikado Japanese Restaurant Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra Burlington Mundialization Committee - Itabashi Subcommittee One Book One Burlington | One really big book club
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