One Book, One Community Author to Speak on Campus Nov. 2

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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Cristina Henriquez, author of the novel The Book of Unknown Americans, which is being read for this year’s One Book, One Community project at the University of Arkansas, will give a free public lecture at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 2, in Hillside Auditorium.

Henriquez’s novel tells the stories of Latino immigrants, living legally in Delaware, and of their family lives, aspirations, struggles, successes and failures – their lives revealing the dreams and the dangers of the immigrant experience.

Her book addresses many of the issues being argued in the current national debate over immigration and the future of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

The Book of Unknown Americans was a New York Times Notable Book of 2014 and one of Amazon’s Top 10 Books of the Year. It was the Daily Beast Novel of the Year, a Washington Post Notable Book, an NPR Great Read, and was chosen one of the best books of the year by BookPage, Oprah.com, and School Library Journal.  

Henríquez’s father was a Panamanian immigrant. She grew up in Delaware but visited her father’s family often as a child. She earned her undergraduate degree from Northwestern University and is a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. She lives in Chicago.