Big Read: Silver Sparrow Book Discussion
Set in a middle-class neighborhood in Atlanta during the 1980s, the novel revolves around James Witherspoon's families: the public one and the secret one. When Witherspoon's daughters from each family meet, they form a friendship, but only one of them knows they are sisters. It is a relationship destined to explode when secrets are revealed and illusions shattered. As Jones explores the backstories of her rich and flawed characters, she also reveals the joy, and the destruction, they brought to each other's lives.
At the heart of it all are two girls whose lives are at stake, and like the best writers, Jones portrays the fragility of her characters with raw authenticity as they seek love, demand attention, and try to imagine themselves as women.
Tayari Jones is the author of three novels: Leaving Atlanta, The Untelling, and Silver Sparrow. Her writing has appeared in Tin House, The Believer, The New York Times, and Callaloo. She is a member of the Fellowship of Southern Writers. A recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award in Fine Arts from the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, she is an Associate Professor in the MFA program at Rutgers-Newark University.
NEA Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest.
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Set in a middle-class neighborhood in Atlanta during the 1980s, the novel revolves around James Witherspoon's families: the public one and the secret one. When Witherspoon's daughters from each family meet, they form a friendship, but only one of them knows they are sisters. It is a relationship destined to explode when secrets are revealed and illusions shattered. As Jones explores the backstories of her rich and flawed characters, she also reveals the joy, and the destruction, they brought to each other's lives.
At the heart of it all are two girls whose lives are at stake, and like the best writers, Jones portrays the fragility of her characters with raw authenticity as they seek love, demand attention, and try to imagine themselves as women.
Tayari Jones is the author of three novels: Leaving Atlanta, The Untelling, and Silver Sparrow. Her writing has appeared in Tin House, The Believer, The New York Times, and Callaloo. She is a member of the Fellowship of Southern Writers. A recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award in Fine Arts from the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, she is an Associate Professor in the MFA program at Rutgers-Newark University.
NEA Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest.
Sign up here to find out about Brooklyn Public Library’s cultural programs right in your Inbox, and never miss out on a sold-out event again!
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