Friends of the Main Library St. Augustine is pleased to welcome award-winning author Diana Abu-Jaber to discuss her latest novel. Winner of the PEN Center Award for Literary Fiction, the American Book Award, a finalist for the Pen Hemingway Award, and winner of the 2012 Arab American National Book Award, Jordanian American author Diana Abu-Jaber is celebrated for her lush and evocative explorations of place and identity, and her breakthrough novel, Fencing with the King, is no exception. With her trademark eloquence, Abu-Jaber has written a sophisticated novel equal parts mystery, family drama, political intrigue, and love story. Set against the backdrop of upper-class Jordan in the 1990s, Fencing with the King is a seductive and compelling exploration of a multigenerational family, the fearsome weight of a life lived in exile, and the great distances we will travel in an attempt to uncover the truth about ourselves and those we love most.

This program is free and open to the public, and will take place at The Waterworks, 184 San Marco Ave., which shares a parking lot with the Main Library. Seating begins at 12:00 pm, and the presentation starts promptly at 1:00 pm. No reservations are required. For more information, please email bmaycumber@sjcfl.us or call the Main Library at 904-827-6940. The presentation will be followed by a book sale and signing, with partial proceeds from the sale of books benefitting Friends of the Main Library St. Augustine.

Diana Abu-Jaber is the award-winning author of seven books of fiction and nonfiction, including Crescent and The Language of Baklava. She lives in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

The Waterworks is available through the generosity of the City of St. Augustine and the St. Johns Cultural Council.