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UID:63@blackwomenconnect.ca
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20261127T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20261127T210000
DTSTAMP:20260425T172429Z
URL:https://www.blackwomenconnect.ca/events/november-book-club-meeting-fre
 shwater-by-akwaeke-emezi/
SUMMARY:November Book Club Meeting – Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi
DESCRIPTION:Join Black Women Connect for our November Book Club as we come 
 together to discuss Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi.\n\nThis month\, we turn t
 o a bold\, haunting\, and highly original novel about identity\, spiritual
 ity\, trauma\, embodiment\, and the many selves that can live within one p
 erson.\n\nWe continue our in-person gatherings\, with a hybrid option avai
 lable for those joining online. Join us in downtown Toronto at King and Pe
 ter Street for an evening of thoughtful conversation\, reflection\, and co
 mmunity.\n\nAbout the Book\n\nFreshwater follows Ada\, a young person born
  in southern Nigeria after being prayed into existence by their parents\, 
 Saul and Saachi. From childhood\, Ada is troubled\, volatile\, and marked 
 by a sense that something within them is not singular or settled.\n\nWhen 
 Ada moves to America for college\, the selves within them grow stronger. A
 fter a traumatic assault\, these inner selves\, including Asụghara and S
 aint Vincent\, begin to take more control\, pulling Ada’s life in increa
 singly dangerous and complicated directions.\n\nAkwaeke Emezi’s debut no
 vel draws on Igbo spirituality\, especially the concept of the ogbanje\, w
 hile also exploring mental health\, gender\, trauma\, and the limits of We
 stern ideas of identity. The novel is formally daring\, emotionally intens
 e\, and deeply unsettling in the best literary sense.\n\nWhat to Expect\n\
 nDuring our discussion\, we will explore:\n\nAda’s fragmented sense of s
 elf and the voices within them\nIgbo spirituality and the concept of the o
 gbanje\nTrauma\, survival\, and embodiment\nGender\, identity\, and the li
 mits of fixed categories\nThe relationship between spirituality and mental
  health\nHow Emezi uses form\, voice\, and perspective to tell the story\n
 What it means to be whole\, divided\, protected\, or possessed\n\nWhy You 
 Should Join\n\nThe Black Women Connect Book Club is a welcoming community 
 designed for thoughtful dialogue\, shared learning\, and collective reflec
 tion. This month’s novel gives us an opportunity to engage with a challe
 nging and powerful work that opens up questions about identity\, spirit\, 
 body\, pain\, survival\, and the stories we use to understand ourselves.\n
 \nHow to Participate\n\n• Read the Book: Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi\n
 • RSVP: Register to receive the event details and Zoom link if joining o
 nline\n• Join the Conversation: Bring your insights\, reflections\, ques
 tions\, and honest reactions\n\nWho Should Join?\n\nAnyone who identifies 
 as a Black woman is welcome\, whether you have been with us for years or t
 his will be your very first meeting.\n\nIf you enjoy literary fiction\, Af
 rican diasporic storytelling\, psychologically complex novels\, and books 
 that challenge conventional ideas about identity and selfhood\, this discu
 ssion is for you.\n\nCome ready to talk\, listen\, reflect\, and reconnect
 . We look forward to seeing you in the room.\n\nHow to Prepare\n\n📖 Rea
 d the Book: Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi\n💭 Reflect: Think about the voi
 ces\, images\, questions\, and moments that stayed with you\n☕ Get Comfo
 rtable: Bring your favourite drink and settle in for a rich discussion\n\n
 What You’ll Receive\n\n✅ Zoom link to join the discussion or in-person
  address\n✅ A discussion guide with thoughtful prompts\n✅ Access to ou
 r private Facebook group for continued conversation\n✅ Connection with a
  community of Black women who love books and dialogue\n\nAbout Black Women
  Connect Book Club\n\nThe Black Women Connect Book Club is a monthly gathe
 ring that brings Black women together through fiction and nonfiction by wr
 iters of African descent. We read\, reflect\, connect\, and build communit
 y through the power of storytelling. It’s more than a book club. It’s 
 connection\, conversation\, and sisterhood.
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CATEGORIES:Book Club Meetings
LOCATION:http://zoom
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