The IRC's reimagined International Book Club, facilitated by IRC member Parker Heying, is meant to offer an engaging space for readers of all ages and backgrounds to connect, explore, and discuss thought-provoking books that illuminate the complexities of our world.
Whether you're passionate about nonfiction deep dives into global issues or enjoy novels that provide fresh perspectives on international cultures and experiences – you can find thoughtful, nuanced discussion that explores the world. Each meeting will start off with an open-forum discussion between readers about the topics and themes of the books, and for the second half, we will be joined by a subject-matter expert to help provide additional context & insights.
Open to readers of all ages and backgrounds, we warmly invite you to partake in the IRC's International Book Club and connect with others who share a curiosity about global affairs and a love of literature. Expand your horizons, foster meaningful connections, and discover stories that inspire and inform in this inclusive and welcoming community. Join us for a journey through the pages of captivating books and dynamic conversations that bring them to life. Let's explore the world together—one book at a time.
We've got in-person and virtual options available for participants, whether you can make it in-person, or from the comfort of your own home - you're welcome to take part in the evening's discussion!
About The Book
This compelling, human story is coupled with timely issues facing the world: the crisis in Darfur, control of limited oil reserves, terrorism by radical Islamic groups. Told through the experiences of two boys, Ayuel Leek and Beny Ngor Chad, the book traces the journey of thousands of displaced children who walked for months across barren land, menaced by starvation, disease, wild animals, and gunfire. Author Barbara Youree, in collaboration with Leek and Chad, follows them through their years in refugee camps and their journey to the United States, where the author mentors them in college as they follow the American dream and pursue their goal of helping other Sudanese. Two million Sudanese have been killed and thousands more tortured, displaced, or sold into slavery. This is their story.
About the Author
Courageous Journey is a narrative non-fiction with co-authors, Barbara Youree, Ayuel Leek Deng and Beny Ngor Chol - the latter two who are the subjects of this incredible story about children caught up in the atrocities of civil war in Sudan. The book was named a finalist in the National Best Books 2008 Awards, and President Jimmy Carter wrote one of the back cover endorsing blurbs. She has written four historical romances, set in France and Italy, that have been combined under one cover: Renaissance Brides. She is also the author of six children’s books, numerous magazine articles, and a YA novel set in first-century Greece, Race to Glory, about the early Olympics. Presently she is working on a historical novel, Flight of the Passerine Bird, set in sixteenth-century France during the War of Religions. In addition to writing, Youree taught French and English on the secondary level. She enjoys art and has served as a docent at Kansas City's Nelson-Atkins Museum and Bentonville, Arkansas' Crystal Bridges. She especially enjoys foreign travel, not only to France, but to a variety of countries such as Greece, Italy, Haiti, Guatemala, and Canada. Getting to know the people and culture is one of her greatest joys.