June Reading through the Decades Challenge: Discover the 1950s

2023-08-23 03:35:36 by Susie Kirk

Looking for an exciting reading challenge this June? Look no further! The North Little Rock Public Library system is here to make your literary journey through the past a delightful experience. Introducing the “Reading through the Decades” challenge, where you’ll explore literature from various eras by delving into books published or set in specific decades.

This month, we transport ourselves back to the vibrant 1950s, a time of immense change and cultural shifts. Prepare to immerse yourself in the enchanting world of this transformative decade by picking up a book that captures its essence. As an added bonus, each completed book allows you to enter a prize drawing for a chance to win a Book Lovers Gift Bag, brimming with goodies to enhance your reading experience. After you read, listen, or watch your title that was set or published from 1950-1959, submit your entry in person at either library or here

1. The Price of Salt by Claire Morgan (Patricia Highsmith): Delve into this groundbreaking novel that explores a complex love story between two women in 1950s America. Claire Morgan (the pseudonym for Patricia Highsmith) crafts a compelling narrative that challenges societal norms and offers a unique perspective on love and identity.
2. A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry: Experience the powerful play that portrays the dreams and struggles of an African American family in 1950s Chicago. Lorraine Hansberry’s work addresses themes of racial and social inequality, identity, and the pursuit of the American Dream with grace and depth.
3. The Stationery Shop by Marjan Kamali: Step into the captivating world of 1950s Tehran as Marjan Kamali weaves a tale of love, loss, and fate. Follow the journey of Roya and Bahman, whose paths diverge but are forever intertwined, against the backdrop of political upheaval and societal change.
4. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath: Immerse yourself in Sylvia Plath’s semi-autobiographical novel that chronicles a young woman’s descent into mental illness in 1950s America. With poignant prose, Plath explores themes of identity, societal expectations, and the pressures faced by women during this era.
5. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver: Travel to the Belgian Congo of the late 1950s with the Price family in this powerful and thought-provoking novel. Barbara Kingsolver explores themes of colonization, cultural clashes, and the consequences of fanaticism through the voices of the Price women.
6. The House of Eve by Sadeqa Johnson: From the award-winning author of Yellow Wife, a daring and redemptive novel set in 1950s Philadelphia and Washington, DC, that explores what it means to be a woman and a mother, and how much one is willing to sacrifice to achieve her greatest goal.
7. Tangerine by Christine Mangan: Immerse yourself in the atmospheric world of 1950s Tangier, where two women’s lives intertwine in unexpected ways. Christine Mangan’s novel is a gripping tale of friendship, deception, and the lingering echoes of the past.

Choose any of these captivating books and let the magic of the 1950s transport you to a different time and place. Happy reading!