SB Reads 2023
For Santa Barbara Reads 2023, the Library is inviting the community to read and discuss The Long Petal of the Sea by Isabel Allende as well as participate in programming to explore the themes of the book.
About SB Reads
Each year, Santa Barbara Public Library encourages local residents to read the same book at the same time to connect with one another, engage in discussions about issues that matter, and examine the world from different viewpoints. Through Santa Barbara Reads, SBPL distributes free copies of featured titles throughout the community and offers programs and book discussions in order to engage deeply with issues explored in the novel.
About the Title
A Long Petal of the Sea is a sweeping historical novel that follows two refugees from the Spanish Civil War as they build a new life in Chile. Through the story of Roser, a talented piano player, and Victor, a doctor, Allende explores timeless themes of belonging, family, and the triumph of the human spirit in the face of profound sorrow and adversity in this ultimately hopeful story. Though the story spans the majority of the 20th century, its interrogations of war, displacement, and the threat of fascism are equally relevant today.
Print copies are available in English and Spanish at the SB Reads Kick Off Event on September 28, then while supplies last at all SBPL locations. Ebooks and digital audiobooks are available in English and Spanish through Libby/Overdrive.
Santa Barbara Reads is funded through the annual support of the Santa Barbara Public Library Foundation. To learn more about the foundation and how to support SB Reads 2023, visit their website.
Dreamers by Yuyi Morales is a picture book that celebrates making your home with the things you always carry: your resilience, your dreams, your hopes and history, all themes present in The Long Petal of the Sea. Print copies first available at Eastside Library on September 27, then while supplies last.
