New books:
If you would like a chance to choose Shalom Readers (for adults) books (or would like to nominate someone else to choose), please contact Amanda Bleichty at amandableichty@centralplainsmc.org. ![]() The Map of Salt and Stars, by Zehn Joukhadar
This “beguiling” (Seattle Times) and stunning novel begins in the summer of 2011. Nour has just lost her father to cancer, and her mother moves Nour and her sisters from New York City back to Syria to be closer to their family. In order to keep her father’s spirit alive as she adjusts to her new home, Nour tells herself their favorite story—the tale of Rawiya, a twelfth-century girl who disguised herself as a boy in order to apprentice herself to a famous mapmaker. But the Syria Nour’s parents knew is changing, and it isn’t long before the war reaches their quiet Homs neighborhood. When a shell destroys Nour’s house and almost takes her life, she and her family are forced to choose: stay and risk more violence or flee across seven countries of the Middle East and North Africa in search of safety—along the very route Rawiya and her mapmaker took eight hundred years before in their quest to chart the world. As Nour’s family decides to take the risk, their journey becomes more and more dangerous, until they face a choice that could mean the family will be separated forever. Following alternating timelines and a pair of unforgettable heroines coming of age in perilous times, The Map of Salt and Stars is the “magical and heart-wrenching” (Christian Science Monitor) story of one girl telling herself the legend of another and learning that, if you listen to your own voice, some things can never be lost. ![]() Start with Hello (and Other Simple Ways to Live as Neighbors), by Shannon Martin
When was the last time you made a new friend? Chatted with a neighbor? Felt connected to your community? Risked being known? There are so many ways, both intentionally and unintentionally, we wall ourselves off from one another, yet we are truly better, healthier, and happier together. The good news is, if you long to trade loneliness, isolation, and disconnection for the security, camaraderie, and joy found through authentic connection with those around you, you need only Start with Hello. In this practical, compelling book, author Shannan Martin shares simple practices for living as a more open-hearted, empathetic neighbor who sees past what divides us, looks for common ground, and is rewarded with vibrant and enduring friendships. Told from Shannan's street-level vantage point in her diverse, complex neighborhood, we see the path to a more deeply connected life before us. Start with Hello illuminates the way. Annotated Book List:
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