Secret Book Swap | Currie | No.4 | March 2025

Books We Swapped:

Slave - Mede Nazer. A powerful true story of survival, Slave follows Mende Nazer's journey from her abduction in Sudan at age twelve to years of domestic servitude in Khartoum and London. Her courageous escape and fight for freedom shed light on the grim realities of modern-day slavery.
Yellowface - R F Kuang. A sharp, satirical novel about ambition, identity, and the publishing world. When a struggling white author steals her late friend's manuscript—a story about Chinese laborers in WWI—she passes it off as her own, igniting a storm of controversy. Perfect for readers who enjoy darkly witty takes on cultural appropriation and literary ethics.
A Million Little Pieces - James Frey. A raw and intense portrayal of addiction and recovery, A Million Little Pieces follows a young man's harrowing journey through rehab as he confronts his demons and seeks redemption. Perfect for readers drawn to gritty, emotionally charged narratives that blur the lines between memoir and fiction.
Bel Canto - Ann Pratchet. A beautifully written novel where a hostage crisis in a South American mansion unexpectedly blossoms into a story of love, music, and human connection. As opera unites captives and captors alike, Bel Canto explores the transformative power of art and empathy. Perfect for readers who enjoy lyrical, character-driven fiction with emotional depth.
American Wife - Curtis Sittenfeld. A compelling and introspective novel following Alice Blackwell, a quiet librarian whose life takes an unexpected turn when she marries into a prominent political family. As her husband ascends to the presidency, Alice grapples with the complexities of love, personal beliefs, and public duty. Perfect for readers who appreciate nuanced character studies and thought-provoking explorations of private lives intersecting with public roles.
The Gargoyle - Andrew Davidson. A haunting and imaginative tale blending modern tragedy with medieval romance, The Gargoyle follows a severely burned man whose life is transformed by a mysterious sculptor claiming they were lovers in a past life. Perfect for readers who enjoy dark, lyrical stories that explore love, redemption, and the power of storytelling.
American Dirt - Jeanine Cummins A gripping and emotional novel following Lydia and her young son as they flee Mexico after a brutal cartel attack, embarking on a perilous journey toward the U.S. border. Perfect for readers drawn to fast-paced stories of survival, motherhood, and the human cost of migration.
Night Train to Marrakech - Dinah Jeffries.

Guest Author - Gillian Lee Gibson

Gillian Lee Gibson is a self published author. She has published two romantic comedies My Own Little Personal Armageddon and A Bump in the Road.

Gillian has also completed a psychological thriller Shore Gulls and is currently working on a crime novel Dark Angel.

Gillian previously taught Religious, Moral and Philosophical studies and now works as a practicing educational psychologist. This background underpins her writing.

Thank you Gillian for joining us and sharing insights into your writing journey and a reading with us. It was a joy to have you in the room with us.

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Banned Book Reading

And Tango Makes Three, By Justin Richardson and Henry Cole (Simon and Schuster)

This time we read from And Tango Makes Three, a 2005 children's picture book by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson, illustrated by Henry Cole. It tells the true story of Roy and Silo, two male chinstrap penguins at New York’s Central Park Zoo who formed a pair bond. With the help of a zookeeper, they were given an egg to care for, which they successfully hatched into a chick named Tango. The book highlights the diversity of family structures, portraying a same-sex penguin couple raising a chick.

The book has received multiple awards, including the ASPCA Henry Bergh Book Award in 2005 and recognition as an ALA Notable Children's Book Nominee in 2006. However, it has also been one of the most frequently challenged books in the United States, due to its depiction of same-sex parenting. According to the American Library Association, it was the most challenged book from 2006 to 2010 and the sixth-most challenged between 2010 and 2019.

In 2023, Florida expanded its Parental Rights in Education Act, leading to widespread book bans. And Tango Makes Three was removed from school shelves as it was deemed too controversial. Its authors, along with other writers and publishers, took legal action, arguing that such bans violate both free speech and students’ rights to access information.

I was delighted to share with the group that just this year, in a settlement, the book was reinstated in a Florida school district, marking a small but important victory against censorship. I truly hope I’ll have more positive updates to share at our future events.

Join us at future secret book swaps:

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