Join us to celebrate the release of local author Terry Farish's new young adult novel, The Good Braider.  In spare free verse laced with unforgettable images, Viola's strikingly original voice sings out the story of her family's journey from war-torn Sudan, to Cairo, and finally to Portland, Maine. Here, in the sometimes too close embrace of the local Southern Sudanese Community, she dreams of South Sudan while she tries to navigate the strange world of America - a world where a girl can wear a short skirt, get a tattoo or even date a boy; a world that puts her into sharp conflict with her traditional mother who, like Viola, is struggling to braid together the strands of a displaced life. Terry Farish's haunting novel is not only a riveting story of escape and survival, but the universal tale of a young immigrant's struggle to build a life on the cusp of two cultures. Terry directs Connections, the adult literacy program of the New Hampshire Humanities Council, where she works with many immigrants and refugees from Sudan, Vietnam, Cambodia and other countries from which people have fled due to war and ethnic violence. She lives in Portsmouth.    Terry will be joined by Susan Craig, an educator who has led workshops in cultural competency and cross-cultural awareness.