Omaha Reads is a yearly event that celebrates the power of literature by bringing the community together to read and explore the themes of one book. The book is selected through a public vote and promoted through book talks, author visits, and related programs. Book nominations are accepted on a continual basis and may be submitted here, opens a new window.
Omaha Reads 2025
In his debut New York Times bestselling memoir, "Solito,", opens a new window Javier Zamora retells his three-thousand-mile journey from his small town in El Salvador through Guatemala and Mexico and across the U.S. border to reunite with the parents he hasn't seen in several years. Traveling alone amid a group of strangers and a “coyote” hired to lead them to safety, Javier expects his trip to last two short weeks. Due to unforeseen circumstances, those two weeks extend into two life-altering months alongside fellow migrants who come to encircle him like an unexpected family.
"Solito" provides an immediate and intimate account not only of a treacherous and near-impossible journey, but also of the miraculous kindness and love delivered at the most unexpected moments.
Upcoming related events will include poetry writing workshops, a community conversation and book clubs discussing “Solito,” panels on immigration in the U.S. and the immigrant experience in Nebraska, and more. The season of programs will culminate with an author visit with Javier Zamora on Nov. 4, 2025.
About the Author:
Memoirist, poet, and speaker Javier Zamora believes that immigrants must keep ownership of their own stories. In his award-winning memoir, he explores his own: a harrowing journey to the U.S. as an unaccompanied nine-year-old that gives a unique and unforgettable glimpse into the realities of child migration. In his talks, he shares the story of his trek to reunite with his family, and how therapy and writing were able to help him heal from the trauma that has haunted him ever since.
Finished "Solito" and want more reading recommendations? Explore themes from this year's Omaha Reads pick through these complementary titles.
For 2024, Oria Simonini — painter, muralist, advocate, and community organizer — created an oil painting on wood paneling evoking the complicated interplay of the two main characters on different sides of the war, and in the striking eyes, Mielle’s visions and others’ perspectives.
