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For Immediate Release: Thursday, May 31, 2007
Contact: Mayor's Office of Communications (415) 554-6131
Mayor Newsom Announces 2007 One City One Book: San Francisco Reads Selection
Unforgettable saga about a rarely explored piece of
American history chosen for citywide reading program
San Francisco, CA - Mayor Gavin Newsom and the San Francisco Public Library invite San Franciscans to
participate in the 3rd annual One City One Book: San Francisco Reads program by announcing the selection of
Cane River by Lalita Tademy. Following two highly successful years of the citywide reading initiative, this year’s
program will again feature discussions and special events associated with the work.
“One City One Book brings together people of different ages, communities, and backgrounds to discuss the ideas
raised by one book and how these ideas connect with our present lives.” Mayor Newsom said. “I encourage
everyone to pick up a copy of Cane River to read this summer so we can have great discussions this fall.”
In this extensively researched personal odyssey, Lalita Tademy brings to life four vivid and remarkable women in
her family, beginning in slavery, sweeping through the Civil War, and into the pre-Civil Rights South. As we
follow these four women through extraordinary hardship, they learn to empower themselves, and despite
overwhelming pressures, get their due and preserve their heritage. Set on a Creole plantation on the banks of
Louisiana's Cane River, this New York Times best-seller is a beautifully written slice of American history never
before seen in such piercing and personal detail.
Lalita Tademy was born in Berkeley, California, far from her parents’ southern roots. She had always been
intensely interested in her family's stories, especially ones about her great-grandmother Emily, a formidable figure
who died with her life's savings hidden in her mattress. Before probing deeper for her family's roots, Tademy left
her position as vice-president of Sun Microsystems to immerse herself in researching her family's history and
write Cane River. Her second book, Red River, was published in January 2007.
City Librarian Luis Herrera encourages all San Francisco adults and teens to participate in the 2007 activities,
which will include programming about genealogy and family history research. “We are all curious about where
we come from and what our family’s stories are. Lalita Tademy turned her curiosity and research into a
fascinating novel about four women and the lives they lived on Cane River. I think this book will raise important
questions about America’s history and our own personal histories for all who read it.”
One City One Book: San Francisco Reads events and discussions will take place in libraries, bookstores, and
schools during September and October. Program guides, bookmarks, and other promotional materials will be
available. For additional program information, visit the San Francisco Public Library website at www.sfpl.org.
In searching for a compelling title, the eight-person selection committee for One City One Book considered books
that met as many as possible of the following criteria: high literary quality; reflective of universal issues facing
San Franciscans; mirror the diversity of San Francisco; have connections to San Francisco (either through the
content or the author’s relationship with the city); available in key languages; available in large quantities;
appealing to adults and teens; available in paperback; capable of sparking provocative discussions; and lend
themselves to engaging public programs around the book.
Cane River has been published in paperback, audio formats and multiple languages.
One City One Book: San Francisco Reads is funded by Friends of the San Francisco Public Library and The
San Francisco Foundation.
For more information, please call (415) 557-4277.
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