BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//wp-events-plugin.com//7.2.3.1//EN TZID:America/Detroit X-WR-TIMEZONE:America/Detroit BEGIN:VEVENT UID:32284@arabamerica.com DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20240404T170000 DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20240404T200000 DTSTAMP:20240220T044900Z URL:https://www.arabamerica.com/events/author-reading-susan-muaddi-darraj/ SUMMARY:Author Reading: Susan Muaddi Darraj DESCRIPTION:\n\n\n\nAbout this event\n \;\n\n\n\n 2 hours\n Mobile eT icket\n\n \;\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIn honor of Arab American Heritage Month\, j oin Susan Muaddi Darraj for a reading and book discussion of her debut nov el\, Beyond You is the Sea\, on April 4th at 5pm!\n\nThis event is recom mended for all ages. Proceeds from purchases made at Indy Reads supports o ur English language\, literacy\, and job readiness programming.\n\n\n\n\n\ n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nBehind You is the Sea by Susan Muaddi Darraj\n\nAmerican Book Award winner Susan Muaddi Darraj presents a stirring account of the lives of three Palestinian American families\, bridging the complex divide between two generations.\n\nThrough her new breathtaking novel\, Behind You is the Sea (HarperVia\; January 16\, 2024)\, Susan Muaddi Darraj offe rs a timely story about three immigrant Palestinian families and the commu nity they've created in Baltimore\, Maryland. Told from the perspective of various residents\, Muaddi Darraj's debut chronicles the compelling loves of the Baladi\, the Ammar\, and the Salameh families—illustrating the b readth of their experiences as they navigate different social\, economic\, religious\, and class realities.\n\nIn this engaging account of Arab cult ure\, Muaddi Darraj provides a polyphonic voice for the Palestinian commun ity that mirrors its diversity\, interweaving stories of feminism\, immigr ation\, class\, generational trauma\, racial justice\, and education equit y. Enlightening readers to the trials of first-generation immigrants and i ts generational effects on families\, this novel is an accessible\, eye-op ening\, and timely reflection of current events—and it's emotionally gri pping and often funny.\n\nThe Baladi's struggle financially\; in the openi ng perspective of this multi-narrator novel\, Reema Baladi struggles with a decision of what to do with an unwanted baby\, as her world comes crashi ng down around her with the impending death of her Baba.\n\nWe meet Reema later and see what her life has now become\, when Dalia\, the matriarch of the wealthy Ammar family\, employs her sister\, Maysoon Baladi\, to clean up after her spoiled teenagers—and though Dalia and Maysoon despise eac h other\, Maysoon comes out victorious. In another family tale\, Marcus Sa lameh is at odds with his immigrant father\, who has thrown his sister out of the family for dishonoring their name. Only on a trip to Palestine to fulfill a wajib\, a familial duty\, does Marcus experience a sudden transf ormation\, finding a sense of belonging\, and a place to truly call home\, in the least expected place.\n\nBehind You is the Sea offers an equally complex\, haunting\, and entertaining narrative\, illuminating the difficu lties of remaining connected to a culture in a foreign land and creating a future in a country grappling with its own racial and economic trauma\, o ffering insight into a community that's just like so many others in Americ a—people who have worked long and hard to establish a sense of belonging in a new place\, eager to fulfill their hopes and dreams.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\nSusan Muaddi Darraj is the author of A Curious Land\, a nov el in stories that earned an American Book Award and was a finalist for a Palestine Book Award. In 2018\, she was named a Ford Fellow by USA Artists . A past winner of the Maryland State Art Council's Independent Artist Awa rd\, she is also the author of Farah Rocks\, the first children's book s eries to feature a Palestinian-American character. She lives in Baltimore\ , Maryland\, and teaches at the Johns Hopkins University.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\ n\n\n\n\n\nThis Event is Pay-What-You-Can\n\nHere’s what your suggested donation can do for the Indy Reads community:\n\nFREE – This ticket is for attendees that would like to attend this event and are unable to purch ase a ticket. Indy Reads values our community and facilitators. We are pro ud to provide programming to all. Thank you for being a part of our commun ity!\n\n$10 – This donation covers the cost of one attendee to this eve nt. Indy Reads strives to bring the very best programming to Fountain Squa re and all Hoosiers. Thank you for helping us to keep our quality programs accessible for all!\n\n$20 – This donation covers the cost of two atte ndees to this event. If you are attending as an individual\, your ticket a t this level makes it possible for another who cannot afford a ticket to a ttend. It is only through the generosity of our community that we are able to support programs that enrich the lives of all Hoosiers. Thank you for your support!\n\nOther – “Pay-What-You-Can” really does mean pay wh at you can. Indy Reads appreciates that every one of our community members is able to support our vision of 100% literacy for all in different ways. Whether you can pay $5 or $50\, we are so excited to see you – and than k you for your support!\n\nFor more information\, please email bookstore@i ndyreads.org.\n\nIndy Reads is a 501c3 nonprofit. Our mission is to empowe r adults and their families through literacy\, English language skills\, a nd job readiness programming. For more information about Indy Reads and th e students we serve\, visit our website at indyreads.org.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\ n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.arabamerica.com/wp-content/uploads/2 024/02/Screen-Shot-2024-02-19-at-11.48.17-PM.png LOCATION:Indy Reads\, 1066 Virginia Avenue\, Indianapolis\, IN\, 46203\, Un ited States GEO:39.752545;-86.140056 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=1066 Virginia Avenue\, Indi anapolis\, IN\, 46203\, United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=100;X-TITLE=Indy Read s:geo:39.752545,-86.140056 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/Detroit X-LIC-LOCATION:America/Detroit BEGIN:DAYLIGHT DTSTART:20240310T030000 TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT END:DAYLIGHT END:VTIMEZONE END:VCALENDAR