A new collaborative book discussion space between AFAR Media and the United Nations Association of New York
AFAR is the world’s leading travel media brand that inspires and guides travelers to have deeper, richer, and more meaningful experiences. AFAR values a deep sense of cultural immersion and exploration and have been recognized for their vibrant and authentic travel photography. They don’t shy away from presenting places as they really are and celebrate global diversity in all forms.
In short, since AFAR believes that travel can change the world — why not let books be our literary ambassadors to guide new journeys? Given the restrictions of our current global situation, what better way to travel than taking exciting adventures as armchair travelers by opening the next book?
How our Book Club Works
We will announce a new book selection quarterly for UNA-NYC members and book lovers, and those who want to participate should purchase the book and register for the online discussion circle, when they'll be able to share their experiences — of where the journey took them, who they met along the way, and what new vistas of ideas and life horizons they encountered. Our book selections may be fiction or nonfiction, in translation or originally in English, and from a diverse range of authors who will help you get to know our world from their unique perspectives.
Until it’s safe to hold these events in person, the book conversations will take place virtually on Goodreads. The AFAR editor leading the occasion will set a few questions (see below) to spark reading interest and encourage ideas for discussion.
On our website and social media posts, UNA-NYC will keep our community updated on these and other events as they are scheduled.
Here's a look at our Book Club premiere pick: Call Me American: A Memoir by Abdi Nor Iftin, the incredible true story of a boy living in war-torn Somalia who escapes to America — first by way of the movies; years later, through a miraculous green card.
Abdi Nor Iftin first fell in love with America from afar. As a child, he learned English by listening to American pop artists like Michael Jackson and watching films starring action heroes like Arnold Schwarzenegger. When U.S. marines landed in Mogadishu to take on the warlords, Abdi cheered the arrival of these real Americans, who seemed as heroic as those of the movies.
Sporting American clothes and dance moves, he became known around Mogadishu as Abdi American, but when the radical Islamist group al-Shabaab rose to power in 2006, it suddenly became dangerous to celebrate Western culture. Desperate to make a living, Abdi used his language skills to post secret dispatches to NPR and the Internet, which found an audience of worldwide listeners. But as life in Somalia grew more dangerous, Abdi was left with no choice but to flee to Kenya as a refugee.
In an amazing stroke of luck, Abdi won entrance to the U.S. in the annual visa lottery, though his route to America — filled with twists and turns and a harrowing sequence of events that nearly stranded him in Nairobi — did not come easily. Parts of his story were first heard on the BBC World Service and This American Life. Now a proud resident of Maine, on the path to citizenship, Abdi Nor Iftin's dramatic, deeply stirring memoir is truly a story for our time: a vivid reminder of why western democracies still beckon to those looking to make a better life.
Questions to Kick-start Your Reading
What does Iftin admire most about Americans as a child, and then later as an adult?
How does Iftin’s relationship with Salopek both encourage and endanger him? Of checking to see if he won the diversity visa lottery, Iftin writes: “As I entered my application number and date of birth, I thought about all the good luck I had received in my life.”
How else does Iftin consider himself lucky?
In what ways do you think differently about personal freedom after reading Iftin’s memoir?