“A Map Is Only One Story” is the 2026 Common Read
Mount Holyoke College has selected “A Map Is Only One Story” for its Common Read for the 2026–27 academic year. Through the power of personal narratives, the anthology offers a new definition of home in the twenty-first century.
Mount Holyoke College’s 2026 Common Read is “A Map Is Only One Story: Twenty Writers on Immigration, Family, and the Meaning of Home.” In this anthology, 20 writers share stories of migration, family, and the search for home and belonging.
From rediscovering an ancestral village in China to experiencing the realities of American life as a Nigerian, the search for belonging crosses borders and generations. Selected from the archives of “Catapult” magazine, the essays highlight the human side of immigration policies and polarized rhetoric as 20 writers share provocative personal stories of existing between languages and cultures.
The Common Read Committee selects publications each year that will lead to thoughtful discussions on campus.
“As the Chinese-American writer Curtis Chin reminded us in our 2026 BOOM! opening plenary, in difficult times, ‘We win by sharing our stories,’” said committee member Abby Glogower. “This is a book that meets our moment and our community — an opportunity to explore who we are as individuals and the chorus we form when [our] stories come together.”
Through the power of personal narratives from both emerging and established writers, “A Map Is Only One Story” offers a new definition of home in the twenty-first century. Victoria Blanco relates how those with family in both El Paso, Texas, and Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, experience life on the border. Nina Li Coomes recalls the heroines of Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki and what they taught her about her bicultural identity. Nur Nasreen Ibrahim details her grandfather’s crossing of the India-Pakistan border 60 years after Partition. Krystal A. Sital writes of how undocumented status in the United States can impact love and relationships. Porochista Khakpour describes the challenges in writing (and rewriting) Iranian America.
“To me, this tapestry of narratives provides a much-needed antidote to rhetoric around immigrants and migration that is shaping national politics,” said committee member Hannah Goodwin. “This book’s narratives range from funny to poignant to incisive, united around a strong sense of common humanity. I hope that these stories will resonate and foster meaningful dialogue at Mount Holyoke, where our large and vibrant international body is such a huge part of our campus identity.”
The Common Read program, which began in 2000 as part of the College’s annual Orientation, is open to prospective and current students as well as faculty, staff and alums.
Discussions about the Common Read selection provide new students with their first intellectual dialogue based on a shared text. These discussions take place throughout the academic year. They foster community and give students a foundation for expressing themselves on complex issues.
