Detained Book Club with Elena and Bobby
Detained by David Esperanza is our first-ever bilingual book club - hosted by Elena and Bobby, members of our community! This club will be held on Thursday, March 26th, from 5:30-7:30 pm. The coffee bar will be available for you as well as after-hours shopping.
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We’re switching up our book club in 2026!
✨ Registration is now a donation-based pay-what-you-can each month that benefits a local non-profit - March’s book club will benefit World Relief QC.
open_in_newhttps://worldrelief.org/quad-cities/
✨ Receive 10% off the book club book with registration - use code BOOKCLUB or mention that you’ve joined the book club at checkout in person!
✨ Don’t want the physical copy of the book? Consider using open_in_newlibro.fm/atlascollectiveqc for audiobooks or open_in_newhttps://bookshop.org/shop/atlascollectiveqc for e-books or direct to home shipping.
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About Detained:
The first-ever memoir of a child’s experience in detention on the US/Mexico border under President Trump’s infamous family separation policy.
D Esperanza was just thirteen years old when he lost his caregivers, his beloved grandmother and uncle. Since both of his parents were working and living in the United States, D was left on his own in a small town in Honduras. He quickly realized he simply could not make enough money to survive so he made the difficult decision to head north with his cousins and hopefully reunite with his parents in el norte.
Together, the boys struggled to survive a long and treacherous journey through Central America and Mexico. Along the way, D and his cousins formed a deep bond, only for the four to be brutally separated at the border of the United States. When he is captured and processed at a facility, neither D nor his family are given an update on when he will be released or where he’ll go next. Over the next five months, he kept a journal of his experience. The pages tell a story of pain, cruelty, friendship, and resilience, a living testament to the reality of the border. Amidst the senseless inhumanity and violence of US immigration policy, D found hope in the friendship he and his fellow companions forged, and mentorship from one intrepid advocate who fought on his behalf named Gerardo Iván Morales.
Timely, powerful, and unforgettable, Detained brings the border crisis to vivid life.
About Elena:
Elena is a queer latina educator and writer here in the QCA. She works with at risk youth and families, helping to provide an education that fosters growth of their minds and well-being.
She chose this book because it is the story of many children, teens, and adults in our country. A story that needs to be written, heard, and that needs to change hearts. Let this be the first step of many towards change.
About Bobby:
Bobby is a queer latinx young man who enjoys reading about everything they can get their hands on but particularly philosophy and novels. They advocate toward reading as a way to transform and empathize and believes dialogue can open up the doorways of change to learn to share horizons, and to grow. They are excited to form part of the “Detained” Book Discussion alongside their friend Elena.