One Book Siouxland
2024 One Book Siouxland
About the Book
The 2024 One Book Siouxland selection is Don't Look Back by Achut Deng and Keely Hutton. Don't Look Back recounts Achut Deng’s story of escaping civil war in South Sudan, living in a Kenyan refugee camp, and coming to America. Deng faced loss, pain, and challenges during her journey. But, taught by the strong women in her life not to look back, Achut kept moving forward. Don't Look Back is a powerful story of hope, strength, and faith in the future.
About the Author
Achut Deng was born in South Sudan and came to America as a refugee when she was sixteen years old, a story she recounts in her memoir, Don't Look Back. She is now an American citizen and works as a safety coordinator at the Smithfield meat-packing plant in South Dakota, where she also resides. She is the mother of three sons.
Over the last year, Achut has shared her story with schools, professional groups, churches, conferences, and several national news organizations including the New York Times, The Daily Podcast, The Atlantic, NPR, the Boston Globe, the associated press, and Amna Nawaz of PBS Newshour.
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Upcoming Events
Don't Look Back Kick-off Event
Saturday, April 6
10 a.m.-12 p.m.
Downtown Library
Click here for details.
Celebrate our 2024 One Book Siouxland title, Don’t Look Back by Achut Deng and Keely Hutton. Discuss the book, try authentic African food, and enjoy a performance by the Nepalese dance group, NSKK. Don’t miss the Refugee display, Seeking Safety.
Register for Book Discussion
One Book Siouxland Discussion Kit
Can't make it to our book discussion? Host one of your own! We will provide the discussion questions, information on our programs, and coffee. Each kit will have enough coffee for up to 12 people.
Registration required by March 31st.
Finding Freedom: Sharing Lived Refugee Experiences
Sunday, April 14
2-4 p.m.
Oak View Branch
Register
Walk a mile in the shoes of a refugee. Journey through a simulated refugee camp from border entry to destination/placement. Endure the obstacles of navigating the refugee camp and figuring out where to go from there. Registration required.
A Helping Hand: Welcoming Refugees to Sioux Falls
Thursday, April 18
6:30-7:30 p.m.
Downtown Library
Register
Discover how New Americans and Refugees learn about life in Sioux Falls after they arrive. A panel of professionals and volunteers will speak about how they help our newest community members navigate their new city. Registration required.
Don't Look Back Author Talk
Saturday, April 27
10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Multicultural Center, The Coliseum
Register
Celebrate a great month of One Book programming by hearing our featured author, Achut Deng, speak about her experience as co-authored with Keely Hutton in Don’t Look Back. Registration required.
2023 Accidental Rancher - Eliza Blue
The 2023 One Book Siouxland selection was Accidental Rancher by Eliza Blue. In Accidental Rancher, Blue shares a collection of short stories about her life on the high plains, bringing a new voice and a musician's grace to the culture of rural America.
2022 | Winter Counts - David Heska Wanbli Weiden
The 2022 One Book Siouxland selection was David Heska Wanbli Weiden's award winning Winter Counts, a thriller set in and around South Dakota’s Rosebud Indian Reservation. It features complex characters, believable conflicts, and an urgent message about Native culture, as well as the inequities in education opportunities and criminal justice.
2020 | The Great Alone - Kristin Hannah
The 2020 One Book Siouxland selection was Kristin Hannah's bestselling The Great Alone, a gripping portrayal of a family seeking a fresh beginning in Alaska in the 1970s.
2019 | Prairie Fires - Caroline Fraser
In 2019, participants read Caroline Fraser's Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder. Prairie Fires won the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Biography, the National Book Critics Circle Award for Biography, as well as being named to New York Times' "10 Best Books of the Year."
2018 | A Man Called Ove - Fredrik Backman
In 2018, One Book Siouxland participants read Fredrik Backman's best-selling book, A Man Called Ove. Library staff, in partnership with local library users, selected this story because of its theme--"people can change, even if they are set in their ways"--as well as the strong Swedish and Scandinavian heritage that is part of this region and the book.