Diving into Santa Barbara Reads 2023 Book ‘A Long Petal of the Sea’

The Santa Barbara community is diving into Isabel Allende’s novel, A Long Petal of the Sea, for Santa Barbara Reads 2023.

Every year, Santa Barbara Reads has encouraged the community to read, discuss, and immerse themselves in the same book at the same time, and free copies of the books are distributed throughout the community.  

Participants can expect to immerse both their minds and senses into the chosen book, build a community while discussing the book’s central themes, and engage in different programs that highlight local writers, performers, and storytellers.

Through Santa Barbara Reads, the Santa Barbara Public Library distributes free copies of the chosen book to those willing to participate, generating more accessibility for those interested in the featured titles. The program is funded through the Santa Barbara Public Library Foundation with programming developed and implemented by the Santa Barbara Public Library.

Isabel Allende’s 2019 novel, A Long Petal of the Sea, is a historical work of fiction that follows two refugees from the Spanish Civil War as they attempt to build a new life in Chile. Allende’s hopeful story intertwines deep themes of belonging and family, as well as including a strong military presence and the threat of fascism. Allende’s novel allows a lot of room for discussion, interpretation, and comparison to today’s society.

The kick off event, titled “Blood is Thicker,” and presented in collaboration with Backbone Storytelling, will include stories about blood, familial ties, and correlate to one of Allende’s central themes: belonging and family. Attendees are encouraged to listen, share a story, and pick up a free copy of the book. 

The event will be held at Wylde Works, 609 State Street, from 6 to 9 p.m. on September 28. 

Additional Santa Barbara Reads events include: 

Dreamers Family Storytime and Craft, September 27, Eastside Library  (1102 East Montecito Street), 2:30-3 p.m.

SB Reads Book Discussion (two-part series): A Long Petal of the Sea (Free, but registration required) on October 11, Central Library (40 East Anapamu Street) Faulkner Gallery West, 6 to 7 p.m.; and November 1, Faulkner Gallery West, 6 to 7 p.m.

Bring it Home: An SB Reads Community Zine Making Workshop with Honeyboy Press (registration required), October 14, Central Library (40 East Anapamu Street), 2 to 4 p.m.

Library Lab: SB Reads Edition, October 21, Central Library (40 East Anapamu Street), 1:30 to 3 p.m.

SB Reads Book Discussion: My Invented Country, (registration required) October 24, Montecito Library (1469 East Valley Road, Montecito), noon to 1 p.m.

A Conversation on the Art of Translation with Jessica Powell and Suzanne Jill Levine, October 25, Central Library (40 East Anapamu Street),  6 -7 p.m.

SB Reads Book Discussion: Chile, Feminism, and A Long Petal of the Sea, (registration required) October 26, Eastside Library (1102 East Montecito Street), 6 to 7 p.m.

Grupo de lectura en español: Largo Pétalo de Mar, October 27, Eastside Library  (1102 East Montecito Street),  9:30 -11 a.m.

Protest, Community, and Art in Contemporary Chile with Emily Matteson, October 28, Central Library (40 East Anapamu Street), 1-2 p.m.

Connecting Historical Fiction to the Present: A Speculative Futures Writing Workshop with Emily Matteson, October 28, Central Library (40 East Anapamu Street),  2:30-3:30 p.m.

SB Reads Book discussion and Watercolor Activity: The Last Cuentista (registration required), November 1, Central Library (40 East Anapamu Street), 5 to 6:30 p.m.

Spanish Book Club: Largo Pétalo de Mar, November 8, Central Library (40 East Anapamu Street), 5:30 p.m.

All Hands on Deck: A Modern-Day High Seas Adventure to the Far Side of the World Book Discussion, November 13, Central Library (40 East Anapamu Street), 5:30 p.m.

Taller bilingüe de artes y manualidades para adultos con Ella de Painted Lemonade, November 17, Eastside Library (40 East Anapamu Street), 9:30 a.m. 

For more information about SB Reads and the programming, see library.santabarbaraca.gov/sb-reads-2023.