Oprah's Fall 2009 Book Club Selection Announced
Winfrey Chooses Say You're One of Them by Uwen Akpan
Sep 18, 2009
Oprah announced on her September 18 episode that she has chosen Say You're One of Them by Uwen Akpan for her fall 2009 Oprah's Book Club selection. The book is a compellation of stories about children in today's Africa, focusing not only on the sacrifice and disorder, but also the hope. This is the first collection of short stories to be added to Oprah's Book Club.
"An Ex-Mas Feast"
The first story in Say You're One of Them, " An Ex-Mas Feast," details the hardships of a street family, as told from the eyes of a young boy, Jigana. His sister, at the age of 12, is a prostitute and he and his other siblings beg in the street for money to feed the family. Although his mother and father stress the importance of his education, sadly it is his sister's earnings from the street that will pay his tuition.
For his family, Christmas is not day of celebration, but a means for the family to earn more money on the street due to the generosity of the holiday. When Jigana's sister decides to leaves with some rich foreigners, his parents are at once happy for her fortune and upset that her income will be gone. Jigana feels torn between feelings of guilt for being responsible for the rift between his sister and parent's and the disappointment that his education will be in jeopardy. He dreams of his school and the hopes that he will still be able to attend.
About the Author
Author Akpan was born in Nigeria. He was ordained a priest in 2003 and currently serves at Christ the King Church, Ilasamaja-Lagos, Nigeria. In 2006, he earned his MFA in creative writing from the University of Michigan. According to Akpan, "I was inspired to write by the people who sit around my village church to share palm wine after Sunday Mass, by the Bible and by the humor and endurance of the poor.'
Oprah's Book Club
Oprah selects several books a year for her book club members to read and discuss. Now in it's thirtieth year, Oprah's Book Club now contains over 60 selections. Books selected include classics and contemporary novels, along with several books for kids. Many of these books have been made into movies and most of the books, once chosen, become instant bestsellers. This has come to be called, "The Oprah Effect," having been dubbed so by The New York Times.
More information about Akpan, along with an excerpt from the novel, 'An Ex-Mas Feast," can found on Oprah.com.
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