One Book, One San Diego

Thumbnail image of the book cover for The Gangster We Are All Looking For

"The Gangster We Are All Looking For" wins vote!

Thank you to everyone who voted! It was a close race with a narrow finish. View results of the online vote.

"The Gangster We Are All Looking For," written by lê thi diem thúy, is a true-life novel about a Vietnamese refugee family in San Diego, told from the perspective of the family’s daughter, who is just six years old when they arrive. The narrator and her parents struggle to adapt to life in an unfamiliar land, while simultaneously dealing with a troubled marriage, a father’s mysterious past, and the loss of a brother, in this painful, magical, and poetic novel.

About the Nominated Books

The Gangster We Are All Looking For

by lê thi diem thúy

"The Gangster We Are All Looking For" is a true-life novel about a Vietnamese refugee family in San Diego, told from the perspective of the family’s daughter, who is just six years old when they arrive. The narrator and her parents struggle to adapt to life in an unfamiliar land, while simultaneously dealing with a troubled marriage, a father’s mysterious past, and the loss of a brother, in this painful, magical, and poetic novel.

Interview on American Public Media's Weekend America
Portrait of my Father: Photo and essay by lê thi diem thúy
Review by The Independent
Find the book at your local library or bookstore, or purchase it on Amazon.com (a portion of your purchase will support KPBS).

Let the Great World Spin

by Colum McCann

Colum McCann’s "Let the Great World Spin" takes place in 1974 New York City, beginning with Phillippe Petit’s historical tight-rope walk between the twin towers of the World Trade Center. The novel follows a diverse group of characters in the aftermath of this extraordinary event, as their lives occasionally collide in significant and lasting ways. Influenced by the events of 9/11, McCann’s story effectively mirrors the present, though it is set in the past.

Interview on PBS NewsHour
Interview on NPR's Morning Edition
Author's website
Find the book at your local library or bookstore, purchase it on Amazon.com, or download the audio book on Audible.com (a portion of your purchase on Amazon.com or Audible.com will support KPBS).

Into the Beautiful North

By Luis Alberto Urrea

"Into the Beautiful North," by Luis Alberto Urrea, tells the story of Nayeli, a young taco shop worker living in the Mexican village of Tres Camarones. Upon realizing that nearly all the men from her town have moved North, Nayeli and three of her friends travel to America in hopes of finding men to bring back to Mexico. The central characters encounter surprises along the way, in this funny yet powerful tale of their journey.

Interview on KPBS' These Days
Life Is An Act Of Literary Creation: Luis Urrea on NPR's This I Believe
Author's website
Find the book at your local library or bookstore, purchase it on Amazon.com, or download the audio book on Audible.com (a portion of your purchase on Amazon.com or Audible.com will support KPBS).

2010 Selection

Thumbnail image of the book cover for Outcasts United

"Outcasts United" was the 2009-2010 One Book One San Diego selection! An online vote was conducted during the month of October. "Outcasts United" received 61 percent of 1,500 votes. The other two choices were "Dreamers of the Day" and "Song Yet Sung."

Community Events

Wednesday, September 8 Children's Storytime At Athenaeum Join us at the Athenaeum Music & Arts Library for children's storytime, ages 3-6, every Wednesday at 3 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. View full event info →	Athenaeum Music & Arts Library 1008 Wall Street, La Jolla, CA 92037	3:00 pm – 4:00 pm Free	Books, One Book, Family, Lectures
Wednesday, September 15 Children's Storytime At Athenaeum Join us at the Athenaeum Music & Arts Library for children's storytime, ages 3-6, every Wednesday at 3 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. View full event info →	Athenaeum Music & Arts Library 1008 Wall Street, La Jolla, CA 92037	3:00 pm – 4:00 pm Free	Books, One Book, Family, Lectures
Wednesday, September 22 Children's Storytime At Athenaeum Join us at the Athenaeum Music & Arts Library for children's storytime, ages 3-6, every Wednesday at 3 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. View full event info →	Athenaeum Music & Arts Library 1008 Wall Street, La Jolla, CA 92037	3:00 pm – 4:00 pm Free	Books, One Book, Family, Lectures
Wednesday, September 29 Children's Storytime At Athenaeum Join us at the Athenaeum Music & Arts Library for children's storytime, ages 3-6, every Wednesday at 3 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. View full event info →	Athenaeum Music & Arts Library 1008 Wall Street, La Jolla, CA 92037	3:00 pm – 4:00 pm Free	Books, One Book, Family, Lectures

Previous Selections

The Zookeeper's Wife

Thumbnail image of the Zookeeper's Wife book cover The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman is the remarkable true-story of Jan and Antonina Zabinski, the keepers of the Warsaw Zoo, who, with extraordinary courage, compassion, and calm under pressure, managed to save hundreds of people from Nazi hands. With her inimitable blend of lyricism and insight into the natural world, Ackerman reveals in this book how empathy for nature can, occasionally, allow us to triumph over the worst in human nature.

• Watch video of author Diane Ackerman

Three Cups of Tea

Thumbnail image of the Three Cups of Tea book cover In Three Cups of Tea, author Greg Mortenson and acclaimed journalist David Oliver Relin, recount the unlikely journey that led Mortenson from a failed attempt to climb Pakistan’s K2, the world’s second highest mountain, to successfully building schools in some of the most remote regions of Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Enrique's Journey

Thumbnail image of the Enrique's Journey book cover Enrique's Journey, by Sonia Nazario is the astonishing true story that recounts the unforgettable odyssey of a Honduran boy who braves unimaginable hardship and peril to reach his mother in the United States.