Books on our minds

Florida International University's incoming class read this memoir about a 21-year-old American student who left school to fulfill a family obligation by becoming a Buddhist monk in Thailand. The book deals with issues of displacement, ethnic identity, and cultural belonging that undoubtedly speak to the young, but not exclusively.

The University of Maryland recommended this story of Clarkston, Georgia, which 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.

Back again in Washington, Whitman College had its students read this modern classic. Author Fadiman spent years working on the story--more than researching it, she lived it--so she could properly portray the clash between a medical center in California and a Laotian refugee family over their care of a child. Lack of understanding led to tragedy, but the book is also full of dedication, redemption, and hope. It's a fantastic read at any time for anyone.