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One Book – One Lincoln – 2005

one_bookmapThe 2005 One Book – One Lincoln program was wrapped up November 10th, 2005, with the final discussion group, but information about The Kite Runner and One Book – One Lincoln – 2005 is still available on this archive page.


One Book – One Lincoln:
Friendship, Betrayal and Redemption

The fourth One Book – One Lincoln community reading program began on August 22, 2005, with the announcement of Khaled Hossein’s novel The Kite Runner as the selected title for 2005. This is a joint venture of the Lincoln Journal Star and the Lincoln City Libraries. This year’s official Resource Guide was published in the Lincoln Journal Star on September 19th.

‘Hosseini’s stunning debut novel starts as an eloquent Afghan version of the American immigrant experience in the late 20th century, but betrayal and redemption come to the forefront when the narrator, a writer, returns to his ravaged homeland to rescue the son of his childhood friend after the boy’s parents are shot during the Taliban takeover in the mid ’90s…Add an incisive, perceptive examination of recent Afghan history and its ramifications in both America and the Middle East, and the result is a complete work of literature that succeeds in exploring the culture of a previously obscure nation that has become a pivot point in the global politics of the new millennium.’
— Publisher’s Weekly (starred review)

kiterunnerindex

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini has been selected for the 2005 “One Book – One Lincoln” program.

  • About One Book – One Lincoln – 2005
  • How can I participate?
  • How can I set up my own discussion group?
  • What other programs will there be? Will the author visit?
  • How was The Kite Runner selected?
  • What other books were considered for 2005?
  • Who else is supporting the program?

About One Book – One Lincoln – 2005

One Book – One Lincoln is a community reading program co-sponsored by Lincoln City Libraries and the Lincoln Journal Star. The program encourages all adults in Lincoln and Lancaster County to read and discuss the same book at the same time. The goal of the program is to encourage reading and dialogue by creating a community wide reading and discussion experience.

kiterunnerThe idea of city-wide reading programs started in Seattle in 1998 with the program “If All Seattle Read the Same Book” initiated by the Washington Center for the Book located at the Seattle Public Library. The Library of Congress’ Center for the Book reports that “One Book” programs are being introduced across the U.S.A. and around the world.

This is Lincoln’s fourth year of the program. In the fall of 2002, thousands of Lincolnites read and discussed Plainsong by Kent Haruf. For 2003, Ann Patchett’s award-winning novel Bel Canto was selected for our second city-wide reading experience. And in 2004, Leif Enger’s dazzling debut novel Peace Like a River was the choice for Lincoln’s third annual community reading program. Now, for 2005, we invite Lincolnites to go on a journey of friendship, discovery and redemption, exploring the culture and history of Afghanistan and its people, as we read and discuss Khaled Hosseini’s novel The Kite Runner.

Lincoln City Libraries Reference staff have compiled additional resources about The Kite Runner and Khaled Hosseini.

How can I participate?

  • Get the Book. Check out a copy of The Kite Runner at any of the Lincoln City Libraries or purchase your own copy at your local bookstore. The title is available at Lincoln City Libraries in hardback, paperback, Large Print, unabridged audiocassette, and unabridged book-on-CD forms. It is also currently available in a Spanish Language print edition. We hope to have copies of the book available in other languages.
  • Read! Join your family, friends, co-workers, neighbors and fellow Lincolnites in reading the same book – together!
  • Use the resource guide published in the Lincoln Journal Star on September 19th. Copies will be available at all libraries.
  • Attend our related programs.
  • Look at our additional resources about The Kite Runner.
  • Discuss the Book in Person or Online! Attend a Community Discussion at your local library, bookstore, community and recreation center. A complete list of Community Discussion groups will be made available here and in the resource guide shortly. Contact the library to have a trained facilitator come and lead your own discussion group.
  • Help us evaluate our program by filling out our feedback form [now deactivated].

Setting up a discussion group

Are you interested in starting a discussion group or leading a discussion about The Kite Runner? Lincoln City Libraries have materials available to those interested in sponsoring a discussion group. For further information about organizing a discussion group, copies of the Resource Guide with discussion questions, posters, and bookmarks, call Lincoln City Libraries, 441-8512

We can provide a discussion leader for your group

So you want to have a One Book – One Lincoln discussion group, but you don’t have a discussion leader? During September, October and November, Lincoln City Libraries staff will be available to organizations, businesses and clubs interested in hosting a discussion group. For further information, call Lincoln City Libraries, 441-8535

What programs will there be? Will the author visit?

Several special programs are being scheduled at various branches of the public libraries during September, October and November with ties to the themes and events of The Kite Runner. More information will be available when the Resource Guide is made available to the public in September.

At present, Khaled Hosseini is not scheduled to visit Lincoln. This Web site will be updated to reflect any new information as it becomes available.

How was The Kite Runner chosen?

A call for nominations from the community in January resulted in 145 different titles being nominated. The general criteria for the title included:

  • Fiction or Non-Fiction
  • Of general interest to adults and young adults
  • Sparks thoughtful discussion
  • Easily available in paperback
  • Address universal themes of life
  • Readable

A selection committee with community-wide representation was formed to select the book for this year’s community reading program. Members included:

  • Tami Works, Chair
  • Karen Amen
  • Patty Beutler
  • Sarah Biggs-Wudel
  • Franz Blaha
  • Cinnamon Dokken
  • Dave Hamilton
  • Lisa Kelly
  • Jeff Kirkpatrick
  • Sarah Knight
  • Marj McKinty
  • Pat Scudder
  • Andrea Skiles
  • Charles Stephen
  • Nancy Swetland

kiterunnerThe title they selected is The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. The Kite Runner is a novel about friendship, betrayal, and the price of loyalty. It is about the bonds between fathers and sons, and the power of fathers over sons – their love, their sacrifices, and their lies. Written against a backdrop of history that has not been told in fiction before, The Kite Runner describes the rich culture and beauty of a land in the process of being destroyed. But with the devastation, Khaled Hosseini also gives us hope: through the novel’s faith in the power of reading and storytelling, and in the possibilities he shows for redemption.


What other books were considered for 2005?

The other four finalists for One Book – One Lincoln – 2005 were:

You can also Click Here for more detailed information about the five finalists!

greenmileblack   localwondersalps152   lifeofpi   thingstheycarried

The Lincoln Journal Star and the Lincoln City Libraries thank the following additional supporter of One Book – One Lincoln: 

Lamar Outdoor Advertising

lclcard   ljs

Back to the main One Book – One Lincoln – 2005 page

One Book – One Lincoln – 2004: Peace Like a River by Leif Enger
One Book – One Lincoln – 2003: Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
One Book – One Lincoln – 2002: Plainsong by Kent Haruf