A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK • Ghana, eighteenth century: two half sisters are born into different villages, each unaware of the other. One will marry an Englishman and lead a life of comfort in the palatial rooms of the Cape Coast Castle. The other will be captured in a raid on her village, imprisoned in the very same castle, and sold into slavery.
One of Oprah’s Best Books of the Year and a PEN/Hemingway award winner, Homegoing follows the parallel paths of these sisters and their descendants through eight generations: from the Gold Coast to the plantations of Mississippi, from the American Civil War to Jazz Age Harlem. Yaa Gyasi’s extraordinary novel illuminates slavery’s troubled legacy both for those who were taken and those who stayed—and shows how the memory of captivity has been inscribed on the soul of our nation.
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How Do I Get a Book?
Book sign-up
Please sign-up to receive a FREE book, while supplies last, in January 2023.
What is the NEA Big Read?
The NEA Big Read—a partnership between the National Endowment for the Arts and Arts Midwest—broadens our understanding of our world, our neighbors, and ourselves through the power of a shared reading experience. Showcasing a diverse range of themes, voices, and perspectives, the NEA Big Read aims to inspire meaningful conversations, artistic responses, and new discoveries and connections in each community.
Learn more about the NEA Big Read programLearn more about the grant for NEA Big Read: Bolivar County
About the Author
YAA GYASI was born in Ghana and raised in Huntsville, Alabama. She holds a BA in English from Stanford University and an MFA from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, where she held a Dean’s Graduate Research Fellowship. She lives in Brooklyn.
More About the Author
NEA Little Read
As a part of the 2022-2023 NEA Big Read for Bolivar County, the Bolivar County Library System and Delta State University have chosen two books for little readers with similar themes to “Homegoing”. The two books that have been selected are “This is the Rope” by Jacqueline Woodson and “The Undefeated” by Kwame Alexander.
Register for a book
Thank you to the Friends of the Bolivar County Library System for their support of the Little Read. Their donation of 450 books will ensure that every elementary school classroom in Bolivar County can participate in the Little Read.
Members of the Board that we would like to acknowledge are:
- Mary Lou Dilworth, President
- Bob Wilbanks, Vice-President
- Susan Ford, Secretary
- Sally Rogers, Treasurer
- Frances Scarborough
- Elaine Lambert
- Willena S. White
- Georgene Clark
- Fawn Ussery
Events
NEA Big Read: Bolivar County events will start the last week of January 2023 and continue through the end of March 2023. All events are FREE. More events coming!
Jan. 25: Opening Information Session about the book and pre-colonial West African history with Prof. Maia Elgin-Wegmann and Dr. Andrew Wegmann
12 PM | Multi-Purpose Room in Young-Mauldin Dining Hall, Delta State University
CANCELLED DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATHERFeb. 1: Film Screening “High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America” (Episode 1 – Our Roots)
6 PM | Jobe Hall Auditorium, Delta State University
CANCELLED DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATHER
Feb. 2: Film Screening “High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America” (Episode 3 – Our Founding Chefs)
6 PM | Jobe Hall Auditorium, Delta State University
CANCELLED DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATHER
Feb. 3: Film Screening “High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America” (Episode 4 – Freedom)
6 PM | Jobe Hall Auditorium, Delta State University
Feb. 11: Book Discussion hosted by Bolivar County Library System and the Rosedale Freedom Project
12 PM | Rosedale Public Library, 702 Front Street, Rosedale, Mississippi
Feb. 21: Little Read “This is the Rope” Book Event
4 PM | Robinson Carpenter Memorial Library, 104 S. Leflore Avenue, Cleveland
Feb. 21: Book Discussion hosted by Bolivar County Library System and DSU Roberts-LaForge Library
6 PM | Robinson Carpenter Memorial Library
Feb. 24: Heritage Quest genealogy workshop hosted by Bolivar County Library System
12 PM | Robinson Carpenter Memorial Library
Mar. 10: ONLINE Book Discussion hosted by Delta State University
12-1:15 PM | Zoom Meeting ID: 989 3904 5180 https://deltastate.zoom.us/j/98939045180
Mar. 18: Book Discussion hosted by Bolivar County Alumnae Chapter – Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Chi Mu Omega Chapter – Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and Shelby Chamber of Commerce10 AM| Dr. Robert T. Hollingsworth Library, 211 Third Street, Shelby, Mississippi
Mar. 21: Little Read “The Undefeated” Book Event
4 PM | Robinson Carpenter Memorial Library, 104 S. Leflore Avenue, Cleveland
Mar. 21: Book Discussion hosted by Delta State University and Story Books
6 – 7 PM | Story Books, 159 N. Sharpe Avenue, Cleveland
Mar. 30: Lunch and Learn “Expansion, Contraction, and Transformation: The Creation of Sacred Space through Music for Communal Healing and Social Justice” with Dr. Lisa “Osunleti” Beckley-Roberts
12 PM | Baioni Conference Center in Broom Hall, Delta State University
Mar. 30: Arts Performance Jackson State University African Drum and Dance Ensemble6 PM | Jobe Hall Auditorium, Delta State University
FAQ for 2023 Programming
When will NEA Big Read: Bolivar County programming happen?
Programming will begin after the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. Programming ends on March 30, 2023.
Where can I find more information about programming?
Programming will be posted through websites (www.deltastate.edu/dei/big-read) and on social media (Facebook and Instagram). Updates will also come through emails and texts. Also, you can always reach out to me.
Do I have to read the book in order to attend spring events?
No, you do not have to read the book to attend events. Events are focused on the Homegoing’s themes, but it is not necessary to read the book to enjoy the programming. All are welcome!
What kind of programming is planned?
All events are FREE and open to the general public. We have open book discussions (anybody can attend), guest speakers, arts performances, a genealogical workshop, and more planned for the spring semester. The finalized calendar is coming soon!
Will books be available in 2023?
Yes, books will be available again from January to the end of March. The same registration link will be used in the spring.
Wow! This sounds great! How is this all possible?
The NEA Big Read: Bolivar County project is sponsored in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, in partnership with Arts Midwest. Delta State University and the Bolivar County Library System are the partnering institutions for funding and project implementation. The original NEA Big Read: Bolivar County planning committee members include Emily Bell (Director of the Bolivar County Library System), Tamara Blackwell (BCLS Reference Librarian), Dr. Todd Davis (DSU Associate Professor of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation), Laura Kate Fortner (DSU Senior Secretary for Division of Languages and Literature), Riley Hardin (DSU Senior Secretary for Division of Social Sciences and History), Dr. Valarie Morgan (DSU Associate Professor of English), Darla Poole (DSU Coordinator of Academic Advising Services), Prof. C.T. Salazar (DSU Reference Librarian), and Holly Senter (Arts Education Direction at Bologna Performing Arts Center). As programming begins, we will highlight our numerous community partnerships and collaborations. Finally, this is possible because of YOU and your fellow Big Readers in Bolivar County! Thank you for signing up and being in the vanguard of this tremendous project!!
“NEA Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest.”
