Saturday, May 11, 2013

WOW Book Club - May 2013: Outcasts United

We'll be reading a true story in "Outcasts United: A Refugee Team, An American Town" by Warren St. John.

Here's a book summary:
The extraordinary tale of a refugee youth soccer team and the transformation of a small American town.

Clarkston, Georgia, was a typical Southern town until it was designated a refugee settlement center in the 1990s, becoming the first American home for scores of families in flight from the world’s war zones—from Liberia and Sudan to Iraq and Afghanistan. Suddenly Clarkston’s streets were filled with women wearing the hijab, the smells of cumin and curry, and kids of all colors playing soccer in any open space they could find. The town also became home to Luma Mufleh, an American-educated Jordanian woman who founded a youth soccer team to unify Clarkston’s refugee children and keep them off the streets. These kids named themselves the Fugees.

Outcasts United follows a pivotal season in the life of the Fugees and their charismatic coach. Warren St. John documents the lives of a diverse group of young people as they miraculously coalesce into a band of brothers, while also drawing a fascinating portrait of a fading American town struggling to accommodate its new arrivals. 

Please join the discussion on Sunday May 26 at 2pm at the Sacreds Grounds Coffee House in the NOPA neighborhood.

Next Book to Read:
June 2013 - Don't be Afraid, Gringo by Elvia Alvarado (Medea Benjamin - translator) - Honduras

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