2019 One Book One Island – The Monk of Mokha

Now in its 13th year, the One Book One Island community reading project announces the 2019 selection is The Monk of Mokha by Dave Eggers.

The book is about Mokhtar Alkhanshali, who is twenty-four and working as a doorman when he discovers the astonishing history of coffee and Yemen’s central place in it. He leaves San Francisco and travels deep into his ancestral homeland to tour terraced farms high in the country’s rugged mountains and meet beleaguered but determined farmers. But when war engulfs the country and Saudi bombs rain down, Mokhtar has to find a way out of Yemen without sacrificing his dreams or abandoning his people.

Beginning Thurs., Jan. 17 selection free books will be available at:

  • Annye’s Whole Foods
  • Nantucket Atheneum
  • Nantucket Historical Association main office
  • Nantucket Inquirer & Mirror
  • Nantucket Preservation Trust
  • Saltmarsh Senior Center

One book per person. The book supply runs out quickly and readers are asked to please return their copy to the Atheneum or pass it on to a friend.

Join us for a week of free events related to the story and themes of The Monk Of Mokha from March 1- 10.

One book One Island Calendar of Events

Fri., March 1  5:00 – 7:00 pm. Artist Association of Nantucket  at the Johnson Gallery,19 Washington Street.  Exhibit opening, “Salam and the Art of Coffee.”

Mon., March 4 

  • 2 pm Maria Mitchell Association library, Vestal Lane.
    Film: “The English Sheik And The Yemini Gentleman.”
  • 5:30 – 7:30 pm. Nantucket Atheneum Great Hall, 1 India Street.
    Film: “A New Day In Old Sana’a.”

Tues., March 5,  5:30  pm. Nantucket Atheneum Great Hall, 1 India Street. Book discussion of The Monk of Mokha facilitated by Molly Anderson, Atheneum executive director.

Wed., March 6

  • 2 pm Maria Mitchell Association library, Vestal Lane.
    Film: “A New Day In Old Sana’a.”
  • 5:30 – 7:30 pm. Nantucket Atheneum Great Hall, 1 India Street.
    Film: The English Sheik And The Yemini Gentleman.”

Thurs., March 7

  • 12 pm Nantucket Historical Association
    Lecture Yemini Architecture
  • 2:30 pm Nantucket Lightship Basket Museum
    Children’s calligraphy and henna program.

Fri., March 8 5:30 pm Nantucket Atheneum Great Hall, 1 India Street.
Panel Discussion and Q&A with Nantucket Entrepreneurs.

Sat., March 9

  • 10:30 am Nantucket Community School, 56 Centre Street
    Children’s music and story time.
  • 4 – 6 pm Nantucket Dreamland Theater, South Water St.
    Special Presentation on Yemen.

Sun. Mar 10, 3 -5 pm  Nantucket Historical Association Whaling Museum, Finale featuring Yemeni food and music with henna and calligraphy demonstrations.

ONGOING:

Art Exhibit                          March 1-9 at Artists Association at the Johnson Gallery,19 Washington Street.

Coffee Shop Crawl          Feb. 1- Mar. 9   Participants receive passports entitling them to a 10% discount on a cup of coffee purchase at any of ten Nantucket coffee shops. Those participants who collect 6 stamps on their passports are then eligible for the drawing for a gift card at the Finale.

 

Past selections include:

2018
TransAtlantic (McCann)

2017
Elephant Company (Constantine Croke)

2016
The Invention of Wings (Monk Kidd)

2015
Enrique’s Journey (Nazario)

2014
To Kill A Mockingbird (Lee)

2013
The Red Garden (Hoffman)

2012
The Maltese Falcon (Hammett)

2011
 The Postmistress (Blake)

2010
Coal Black Horse (Olmstead)

2009
American Chica (Arana)
Seedfolks (Fleischman)
Abuela (Dorros)

2008
 The Old Man and the Sea (Hemingway)
The Young Man and the Sea (Philbrick)
Island Boy (Cooney)

2007
The Kiterunner (Hosseini)
The Breadwinner (Ellis)
The Librarian of Basra (Winter)

Support for One Book One Island

The program is made possible by funding from the Tupancy-Harris Foundation and the Hale Family Foundation together with financial and staff support from:

* Founding sponsors

Please consider supporting the One Book One Island Program. A $100 gift provides 10 additional free books for the community. To donate, or for more information, please contact Molly Anderson, Nantucket Atheneum, 508-228-1110.