CLEARFIELD – Marty Young of State College recently presented a book talk at the Joseph & Elizabeth Shaw Library.
She chose the award-winning book “Your Heart Is a Muscle the Size of Your Fist” by Sunil Yapa. This book has been selected for the Centre County Reads program.
Yapa, who has lived all over the world, is a State College High School graduate. His father came from Sri Lanka and taught at Penn State. His mother came from Montana.
Young had the unique experience to discuss this book with the author via speakerphone.
The book is a snapshot of one day in the 1999 World Trade Organization protests in Seattle. Young noted how these protests encompassed many different groups and concerns and how they all quickly descended into destruction of property and police brutality.
There are five characters, and each character gets to present his/her perspective of events. Victor, a 19-year-old homeless runaway, and his father, a police chief, are at the core of the story.
Young noted four themes: 1) making choices, 2) identity and belonging, 3) irony and 4) our humanity. She said the book leaves one with many questions, but that was the author’s intention.
The Clearfield Branch of AAUW has been sponsoring the book talks at the Shaw Library. The final event will be Tuesday, April 10 at 6:30 p.m.
Author Kristine Gasbarre, a DuBois native, will present her newest book A Little Piece of Light, due out in June, of 2018. Learn more at www.KristineGasbarre.com/my-books.
Cookies and punch will be served. The $3 donation funds the AAUW Interrupted Studies Scholarship.
Call 814-765-3271 to register for the event or sign up online at www.ShawLibrary.org/Adult.