Roanoke Valley Reads, our “valley-wide book club” where everyone you know reads and talks about the same book, unveils their new book for the fall, Sunil Yapa’s Your Heart is a Muscle the Size of a Fist. Set in Seattle during the World Trade Organization’s protests of 1999, the fictional book depicts a young man, Victor, who returns home to face political protests and unrest. According to the New York Times’ book review, “at the center of the novel is the same question posed by the protesters themselves: What kind of world do we want and what must we do to get it?”
The author, Sunil Yapa, the son of a Sri Lankan father and mother from Montana, is a graduate of Penn State University and Hunter College. Yapa travels extensively and has lived abroad in varied places. His debut novel is a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award and listed as a Washington Post Notable Book. The PEN/Faulkner Award is given to “authors of the year’s best works of fiction by living American citizens” while the Washington Post Notable Book refers to a notable title, not be missed, based on their annual survey of best books.
Events surrounding the book include an author visit October 4-6. Doug Jackson of Book City Roanoke, who promotes Roanoke’s literacy scene and integral in NVR, is working with partners, Hollins University’s Jackson Center for Creative Writing and Cityworks (X)po on this visit.
Future activities associated with the book throughout the month of October are in the works and will center on the themes of empathy, the citizen’s voice in democracy and affecting change in your community.
The timely, chosen book impacts anyone concerned with current events of the day. Visit https://roanokevalleyreads.com for more information and to download the discussion guide. Mark your calendars in early October to attend Yapa’s visit.
Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself. – John Dewey
Jennifer Fenrich of Shining Readers, LLC is a children’s author and freelance writer. With over fifteen years as a reading teacher, she advocates children’s literacy and helps all children “shine.” Jennifer loves spending time with family, writing, and exploring the outdoors.
