Frederick Community College has announced “Purple Hibiscus” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie as its Fall 2017 Campus Book. Discussion events related to the book will take place throughout the fall.

The selection is part of an ongoing series that invites participants to discuss social, political, and cultural themes. Each semester, the College chooses one book and plans related discussions and other events focused on the book to offer the opportunity of a common reading experience to all members of the College community.

This year’s choice is also the Maryland Humanities’ One Maryland One Book selection for fall 2017.

“We are excited to partner with Maryland Humanities’ One Maryland One Book program and participate in this common reading initiative that extends beyond the borders of Frederick County,” Professor Magin LaSov Gregg said. “These conversations are designed to increase participants' civic and social engagement, while also providing meaningful points of social connection for students and employees who might not otherwise intersect."

Chosen books often include civic or social justice topics. “Purple Hibiscus” examines the consequences of domestic violence within a family. To further relate this book to students and the community, Professor LaSov Gregg is planning a service learning project with her English 102 students. The project will involve collecting wish list items for Heartly House, a local shelter which provides comprehensive services for victims and survivors of domestic violence.  Collection boxes will be set up around FCC this fall, as well as at campus book discussion events. Some of the most needed items include reusable grocery or tote bags, dishwasher and laundry detergent pods, disinfecting wipes, gas and grocery gift cards, and new queen-sized sheets, blankets, and comforters.

There will be numerous book discussions held in September, October, and November. Some discussions will focus on a specific theme such as reconstructing masculinity, or challenging authority and reclaiming power, while others will be informal and open-ended discussions. 

The first discussion will take place on September 18 from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. in Room E126, located in the Conference Center. The topic is finding home and belonging. 

The Campus Book Discussion Series was launched in 2015 to support community conversations about the social upheaval experienced in Baltimore and around the nation after the death of Freddie Gray.

The Spring 2018 Campus Book will be “Hillbilly Elegy” by J.D. Vance.
Past campus book selections include:

• “The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness” by Michelle Alexander
• “Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption” by Bryan Stevenson
• “The Book of Unknown Americans” by Cristina Henriquez
• “Kindred” by Octavia Butler

For more information about the Campus Book Discussion Series, contact Professor Magin LaSov Gregg by email or 301-624-2728.