One Book Can Bring a Community Together

Re “County Gets Down to Books,” Jan. 19:

Thanks for using the power of the written word to bring attention to a series of events celebrating, well, the power of the written word. It is the hope of the Orange County Reads One Book project, which kicked off Feb. 5 at Cal State Fullerton, that everyone in the county reads one of Huntington Beach author Adeline Yen Mah’s heartfelt books about growing up unwanted in China. The six-week reading will be followed by three weeks of events, programs and activities relating to the book, held throughout Orange County.

Our county is fortunate that Mah has written two best-selling versions of her memoirs, “Falling Leaves” for adults and “Chinese Cinderella” for youngsters.

We envision families talking about the books over dinner, students discussing them in classrooms, as well as casual get-togethers among neighbors. There will be activities at museums, libraries, universities, bookstores, coffee shops, anywhere people gather.

Some will be intergenerational, others will be multicultural, including a program that partners the Jewish Community Center, the Evergreen Chinese Senior Assn., and Girls Inc. called “Wontons, Kreplach & Empanadas: An Evening of Shared Experience, Music and Tastes.” To see a list of events or to add your own event, visit www.orangecountyreads.org.

We invite everyone to be a part of Orange County Reads One Book, an exciting and fun project for people of all ages.

Susan Redfield

Project Director,

Orange County Reads One Book