The House on Mango Street" to be discussed in Postvill

The House on Mango Street is "one of the most poetic and yet accessible novels from the growing body of Latino literature in the U. S. I hope that community members who enjoy a good read will join the discussion on February 15. I am pleased to be able to lead the discussion," states David Thompson. Thompson, an assistant professor of Spanish at Luther College, has been doing volunteer work in Postville. As part of the Tuesday evening ESL class, he has been teaching those students who wish to earn their GED in Spanish. He also is the instructor for the Luther course that places college students in the ESL class as tutors and mentors. Thompson and his family moved last summer to Northeast Iowa from Illinois.
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros is the second selection in the reading/discussion series entitled "Immigrant Tales-Then and Now." The discussion will be held at the Multicultural Center on Tuesday, February 15, 7:00 pm. Through a series of short vignettes, the book tells the story of Esperanza, a young Latino girl, growing up in a Chicago neighborhood. The chapters give the reader a sense of the harsh realities of Mexican- American life as well as the joys of family celebrations. Esperanza wants to move beyond the low expectations that society and culture have for a Latino girl. Yet she values her family and culture and wishes to remain loyal to them. This coming- of- age story has been widely read by all ages.
The Postville Diversity Council and NICC are offering this opportunity for community members to read and discuss books representing some of the cultural groups in Postville. The first book dealt with German immigrants and the final book on March 1 deals with the Eastern European/Russian culture. This book is entitled The Turk and My Mother. The discussions occur over hot chocolate and cookies and are free of charge. Participants may register by calling 1-800-728 2256 ext 399.