About One Book, One Community
Reading a good book provides the opportunity to discover new ideas, learn about new places, and to explore different cultures, people and backgrounds. Oftentimes, it imposes self-reflection and introspection and allows one to think about issues which impact family, relationships, society and the environment. Discussion of those issues, within one’s community, can offer greater insight into the understanding, compassion and appreciation for those who are our neighbors and for those in far away neighborhoods.
One Book, One Community is a nationwide reading initiative designed to bring communities together. The program creates a culture of community reading and dialog by encouraging residents to read the same book and engaging those individuals in thought-provoking conversations centered around the book’s themes. The University of North Texas and several community partners have joined together to offer a variety programs in various settings throughout the community and to invite Denton residents to participate in the year-long dialog.
The book chosen for Denton’s first community read is The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver.