Antonia Vega, a recently retired English professor and immigrant writer, is reeling from the sudden death of her husband. As she grieves, her unstable sister disappears, and a pregnant, undocumented teen appears at her door. Guided by the literature she loves, Antonia must now confront challenges that demand more than words.

Afterlife is a concise, witty novel set against a backdrop of political tension. It explores what we owe to those in need—both in our families and in the wider human family—and how we can remain faithful to each other and ourselves in a fractured world.

Charmian has this to say about Afterlife: The author is an accomplished poet, and the writing is beautiful… her themes of loss and of trying to make the connections work with our siblings are so familiar.  But I picked the book for its third theme, which is the dilemma of the undocumented workers who, out of our necessity as well as their own, have become so deeply embedded in our agricultural communities.

About Ready Readers

The Ready Readers book group meets monthly on Zoom (2nd Tuesday of the month, 3 – 4:30 p.m.), and reads a variety of both fiction and non-fiction, chosen by the members from among books “nominated” by the members. Usually the person who nominated the book will lead the discussion. Members who cannot do Zoom may visit another member’s home to participate in the meeting. Currently the group has 11 members, both men and women. New members are welcome! The group was formed in 2013. Current co-leaders are Sallie Craig Huber and Charmian Proskauer.