Newport Coast Dining Out Book Club Meetup

Inspired by a true story, this historical novel is a heart-wrenching, unforgettable tale of one young girl who refuses to give up on what she believes in and the strength of human kindness in a time of unimaginable heartbreak.

London, 2018: When ninety‑four‑year‑old Imogen receives a letter addressed to her in neat, unfamiliar handwriting, she notices the postmark is stamped from Germany—and it sends shivers down her spine . . .

Germany, 1939: Thirteen‑year‑old Magda is devastated by the loss of her best friend Lotte, cruelly snatched from her and sent to a concentration camp—the Star of David sewn on her faded brown coat. As the Nazis’ power takes hold, Magda realizes she’s not like the other girls in her German village—she hates the fanatical new rules of the Hitler Youth. So she secretly joins The White Rose Movement and begins to rebel against the oppressive, frightening world around her.

But when an English bomber pilot crashes nearby, she is faced with an impossible choice: risk the safety of her family or save a stranger and make a difference in the devastating war that has claimed the lives of so many. Little does she know, her actions will have the power to change the life of another girl, on the other side of enemy lines, forever.

The nation’s largest literary and cultural festival will returned to the USC University Park Campus on Saturday April 26 with a feast of fun for bookworms, authors and just about everyone else.

There will be indoor and outdoor events, hundreds of exhibitor booths, author signings, performances, and free activities.

The USC Stage (at the center of campus) offers arts and entertainment; and an indoor venue in Wallis Annenberg Hall (ANN) features panels and conversations. Visit USC Programming to learn more.

The USC Friends and Neighbors Stage celebrates community, local talent, art and music. Stop by for family-friendly activities throughout the weekend including author readings, book giveaways, educational activities and prizes, and family fun!

For the full program schedule and lineup visit the L.A. Times Festival of Books site.

Getting there:

If going by car, see Los Angeles Times site for detailed directions.

OR…

Avoid the traffic and having to park by taking the Metrolink train.

From Irvine Transportation Center:
Fare: $10 (R/T) - Select ‘Weekend’
Good for Metrolink and Metrorail - best deal in town :-)

From the Irvine Transportationtion center take the 9:27AM #661 northbound Metrolink train to Union Station and then hop on Metrorail’s Red and Expo lines out to USC.

After the event retrace your steps back to Union Station and catch the LAST OC Metrolink train, 4:27PM, #668 arriving in Irvine -5:36PM.

For anyone who lives north of the Irvine Transportation center, you can hop on Metrolink at other stops along the way (e.g., Tustin, Santa Ana, Anaheim, Fullerton, Buena Park). Check out Metrolink’s weekend schedule on their site.
Sometimes there are train delays, so take that into consideration when planning your day.

Food: There were food trucks at the event last year and USC had a student ‘grab and go’ open however the lines were long. You can pack a picnic lunch (and bring water); there are plenty of places to sit.

Attire: Casual. The free events take place outside. Past years have been warm so monitor the weather report; consider wearing a hat.

DISCLAIMER: Group organizer and assistant organizers assume no liability; attend at your own risk. By being a member of this group you hereby agree to assume all risks and liability related to or resulting from any and all group functions. You agree that neither you nor any third party will hold any of the group's leaders, officers, or representatives liable for any injury, loss, or damage to your own person or any members of your family, friends, acquaintances, children, pets, or property, arising directly or as a consequence from a group activity. You also agree that your membership of this group is based on an "at will" basis.

From the Barclay…

David Sedaris’ sardonic wit and incisive social critiques make him one of America’s preeminent humor writers. Likened to a modern-day Mark Twain, Sedaris is noted for his ability to draw humorous, touching, and universal observations about human nature from his own, often quirky, experiences. He is a best-selling author with titles including Me Talk Pretty One Day, When You Are Engulfed in Flames, Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls, The Best of Me, and Happy-Go-Lucky . His most recent book is a short graphic novel for children with illustrations by Ian Falconer titled Pretty Ugly.

There are over 16 million copies of his books in print and they have been translated into 32 languages. In 2020, the New York Public Library voted Me Talk Pretty One Day one of the 125 most important books of the last 125 years.

See Barclay Theatre site for ticket details.

Hold the date on your calendar. Reservations will open up 2 weeks before the event.

About the book:

An Instant USA Today Bestseller, a Good Morning America Buzz Pick, and a People Book of the Week!

“Throw open the doors of your heart for the lionhearted girls of Chung’s gripping debut…they are heroines for the ages."
—People

A propulsive, extraordinary novel about a mother and her daughters’ harrowing escape to Taiwan as the Communist revolution sweeps through China, by debut author Eve J. Chung, based on her family story

Daughters are the Ang family’s curse.

In 1948, civil war ravages the Chinese countryside, but in rural Shandong, the wealthy, landowning Angs are more concerned with their lack of an heir. Hai is the eldest of four girls and spends her days looking after her sisters. Headstrong Di, who is just a year younger, learns to hide in plain sight, and their mother—abused by the family for failing to birth a boy—finds her own small acts of rebellion in the kitchen. As the Communist army closes in on their town, the rest of the prosperous household flees, leaving behind the girls and their mother because they view them as useless mouths to feed.

Without an Ang male to punish, the land-seizing cadres choose Hai, as the eldest child, to stand trial for her family’s crimes. She barely survives their brutality. Realizing the worst is yet to come, the women plan their escape. Starving and penniless but resourceful, they forge travel permits and embark on a thousand-mile journey to confront the family that abandoned them.

From the countryside to the bustling city of Qingdao, and onward to British Hong Kong and eventually Taiwan, they witness the changing tide of a nation and the plight of multitudes caught in the wake of revolution. But with the loss of their home and the life they’ve known also comes new freedom—to take hold of their fate, to shake free of the bonds of their gender, and to claim their own story.

Told in assured, evocative prose, with impeccably drawn characters, Daughters of Shandong is a hopeful, powerful story about the resilience of women in war; the enduring love between mothers, daughters, and sisters; and the sacrifices made to lift up future generations.