Room Project, a Detroit-based space for women and nonbinary writers and artists, is presenting a virtual Q&A with Imbolo Mbue on April 19. In March, The听New York Times听bestselling author published听How Beautiful We Were听鈥 which tells the story of the people of a small, African village who stand up against the American oil company that has degraded their community 鈥 and Room Project is inviting you to read the novel with them ahead of the event.
The local organization is hosting two Zoom book clubs that focus on Mbue鈥檚 new release. The first will meet on April 5 and 12 and be led by Katelyn Rivas, the founder of the Detroit chapter of The Free Woman鈥檚 Black Library. Those who sign up for Rivas鈥 group will work on writing prompts. The other book club, which will meet on April 8 and 15, will be led by Liz Kennedy, who works with the Lead to Life collective and with Allied Media Conference as a program coordinator. Kennedy鈥檚 group will touch on how听How Beautiful We Were听connects to local environmental issues.听
According to Room Project Founder Christin Lee, the clubs and the corresponding author event 鈥 a format the organization has recently offered for Britt Bennett鈥檚 The Vanishing Half and Jia Tolentino鈥檚 Trick Mirror 鈥 are intended to spark deeper conversations about books. 鈥溾he energy that comes out of those conversations is pretty singular, and I think we鈥檒l all kinda been blown away by how good they are,鈥 Lee says. 鈥淧eople are so smart and funny and tender and thoughtful with each other when they slow down to just talk about a really good work of art鈥︹
Mbue 鈥 whose debut novel,听Behold the Dreamers, won the Pen/Faulkner Award for fiction and was an Oprah鈥檚 Book Club selection 鈥 has already received praise for听How Beautiful We Were听from the likes of听The New York Times Book Review,听Time,听USA Today, and听The Seattle Times. Reviewers have lauded Mbue鈥檚 work for its relevant and heart-wrenching story that explores how corporate greed, colonialism, and capitalism can devastate a community and the tenacious spirit of the people who fight back.听听
鈥淚mbolo鈥檚 book is really special because it takes us out of the USA,鈥 Lee says.听鈥淚 think we all can relate to the feeling of going over the national news again and again to scan the COVID numbers, rage against the myriad injustices, fear the larger machinations of climate and industry that can feel so far out of our control. In all of that, I noticed that I had stopped paying attention to a lot of international issues that I have long been passionate about. Honestly, I feel a lot of guilt and pain about being so absorbed in what has happened here that I turned a blind eye to problems abroad that need to be talked about, supported, rallied around. Mbue鈥檚 book is powerful in so many ways as it charts a path of resistance, while it recognizes the humanity in all of us.鈥澨
The听How Beautiful We Were听book clubs are free and open to all gender expressions; you do not need to be a Room Project member to sign up. To attend the Q&A event later this month with Mbue, non-members must participate in a book club, which they can join by registering on Room Project鈥檚 website. Participants are welcome to attend both days each club is offered, or they can hop in for a single meeting.
Those who sign up for the club are encouraged to purchase听How Beautiful We Were at a local bookshop. Pages Bookshop in Detroit is offering a 15 percent discount to those who participate in a club, and Room Project provides recommendations of other nearby shops on its site.听
For more information, visit听.
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