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The Most Costly Journey (El viaje más caro)

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Much of the work on Vermont dairy farms is done by people from Latin America. Over a thousand migrant laborers from Mexico and other countries milk cows, fix tractors, shovel manure, and take care of calves in our state.

Our Vermont Reads 2022 choice, The Most Costly Journey (El Viaje Más Caro), tells the stories of 19 of these workers in their own words. Illustrated by New England cartoonists in a variety of styles, each short chapter describes aspects of life as an immigrant farm worker in Vermont: crossing the southern border, struggling with English, adapting to winter, growing gardens, raising children, dealing with health crises, and working long hours.

Learn more about Vermont Reads 2022.

Vermont Reads is Vermont Humanities’ statewide community reading program. Since its inception in 2003, tens of thousands of Vermonters in towns across the state have participated.

How to Book this Series

Please browse the list of available facilitators above. Then contact your chosen facilitator to discuss the timing and other details of the series. Finally, select the “Book this Series” button and fill out our online Reading & Discussion Request Form.

Book this Series

Questions?

Please contact Richelle Franzoni at (802) 262-1355 or rfranzoni@vermonthumanities.org.

Available Facilitators

Woman leading a book discussion group with a book open on her lap

Alan Berolzheimer

By Vermont Humanities | February 16, 2018

Travel radius: statewide

Posted in Facilitator

Tags: 20C Conflicts, 20C Presidents Before, 20C Presidents Post, African American Harlem, African American South, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Blue Collar America, Earth Tones, Farms Gardens, Forces of Nature, Founding Fathers, Futures, Hard Look America, Immigrants, Legacy of Race, lgbtqia1, lgbtqia2, Making Sense Civil War, March, Memorable Memoirs, Mexican Americans, Most Costly Journey, Native America, New England Uncovered, Our Civil War Legacy, Outsiders, Path to War, Seminal Statements, Slavery Civil War, Understanding Africa, When Cultures Meet, World War II Innocence

Woman leading a book discussion group with a book open on her lap

Suzanne H. Brown

By Vermont Humanities | February 19, 2018

Travel radius: statewide

Posted in Facilitator, Reading and Discussion

Tags: 20C Jewish, 20C Presidents Before, African American Harlem, African American Memoirs, African American South, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, American Stories, Based on Real Life, BIG Books, Blue Collar America, Booker Prize, Border Crossings, Canadian Diversity, Changing South, China Transform, DCF Winners, Dogged Resolve, Eight Great Greek, Experience My World, Exploring Graphic Novels, Family History, Farms Gardens, Fleeing Dictatorship, Forces of Nature, Founding Fathers, From Page to Screen, Futures, Gastronomy, Genius Mark Twain, Get Real, Gilded Age, Hard Look America, Healthcare Humanity, How They Lived, Immigrants, Influential First Ladies, International Migrations, Justice, Legacy of Race, lgbtqia1, lgbtqia2, Lincoln Bicentennial, Literary Islam, Making Sense Civil War, March, Masters Short Story, Memorable Memoirs, Mexican Americans, Most Costly Journey, Mysterious Lens, Native America, Native American Literature, Never-Setting Sun, New England Uncovered, pandemics, Path to War, Pilgrimage, Poems to Share, Portraits of the Artists, Pulitzer Plays, Reintroducing Greece, Required Reading, Retellings, Revenge, Rise of English Novel, Robert Frost, Romantic Ideal, Seven Deadly Sins, Shakespeare Mix, Soldiering On, Sustainability, Ties That Bind, Understanding Africa, Vermont Reads, War and Humanity, What a Character, Womens Literature

Woman leading a book discussion group with a book open on her lap

Eric A. Bye

By Vermont Humanities | February 19, 2018

Travel radius: Addison, Bennington, Rutland, Windham, Windsor

Posted in Facilitator, Reading and Discussion

Tags: 20C Jewish, African American Harlem, African American Memoirs, African American South, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Based on Real Life, BIG Books, Canadian Diversity, Changing South, Family History, Fleeing Dictatorship, Forces of Nature, Genius Mark Twain, Hard Look America, International Migrations, lgbtqia1, lgbtqia2, Lincoln Bicentennial, March, Mexican Americans, Most Costly Journey, Path to War, Portraits of the Artists, Pulitzer Plays, Required Reading, Rise of English Novel, Romantic Ideal, Seven Deadly Sins, Slavery Civil War, Vermont Reads, When Cultures Meet

Woman leading a book discussion group with a book open on her lap

Rachael Cohen

By Vermont Humanities | February 19, 2018

Travel radius: statewide

Posted in Facilitator, Reading and Discussion

Tags: 20C Jewish, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, American Stories, Based on Real Life, BIG Books, Blue Collar America, Booker Prize, Border Crossings, Canadian Diversity, Changing South, China Transform, DCF Winners, Dogged Resolve, Earth Tones, Eight Great Greek, Experience My World, Exploring Graphic Novels, Family History, Farms Gardens, Fear No Labor, Forces of Nature, Founding Fathers, From Page to Screen, Futures, Gastronomy, Genius Mark Twain, Get Real, Hard Look America, Healthcare Humanity, How They Lived, Immigrants, Influential First Ladies, International Migrations, Justice, Legacy of Race, lgbtqia1, lgbtqia2, Lincoln Bicentennial, Masters Short Story, Memorable Memoirs, Most Costly Journey, Mysterious Lens, Native America, New England Uncovered, Our Civil War Legacy, Outsiders, Pilgrimage, Poems to Share, Portraits of the Artists, Pulitzer Plays, Reintroducing Greece, Required Reading, Retellings, Revenge, Rise of English Novel, Rise of Nazism, Robert Frost, Romantic Ideal, Seven Deadly Sins, Shakespeare Mix, Sustainability, Vermont Reads, What a Character, When Cultures Meet, Womens Literature

Woman leading a book discussion group with a book open on her lap

Mary Hays

By Vermont Humanities | February 19, 2018

Travel radius: Caledonia, Orange, Washington

Posted in Facilitator, Reading and Discussion

Tags: 20C Jewish, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Based on Real Life, BIG Books, Blue Collar America, Booker Prize, Canadian Diversity, Changing South, DCF Winners, Dogged Resolve, Experience My World, Family History, Fleeing Dictatorship, Forces of Nature, Founding Fathers, Futures, Genius Mark Twain, Get Real, Hard Look America, Healthcare Humanity, How They Lived, Immigrants, Influential First Ladies, International Migrations, Justice, Lincoln Bicentennial, Masters Short Story, Memorable Memoirs, Mexican Americans, Most Costly Journey, Native America, Native American Literature, Never-Setting Sun, New England Uncovered, Our Civil War Legacy, Outsiders, Path to War, Pilgrimage, Poems to Share, Pulitzer Plays, Required Reading, Revenge, Romantic Ideal, Seminal Statements, Seven Deadly Sins, Slavery Civil War, Ties That Bind, Understanding Africa, Vermont Reads, War and Humanity, What a Character, When Cultures Meet

Woman leading a book discussion group with a book open on her lap

Florence McCloud

By Vermont Humanities | February 19, 2018

Travel radius: Chittenden, Grand Isle, Washington

Posted in Facilitator, Reading and Discussion

Tags: 20C Jewish, 20C Presidents Before, 20C Presidents Post, African American Harlem, African American Memoirs, African American South, American Stories, Based on Real Life, BIG Books, Booker Prize, Changing South, DCF Winners, Dogged Resolve, Eight Great Greek, Experience My World, Family History, Fleeing Dictatorship, From Page to Screen, Gastronomy, Genius Mark Twain, Hard Look America, Immigrants, International Migrations, Lincoln Bicentennial, Masters Short Story, Memorable Memoirs, Most Costly Journey, New England Uncovered, Path to War, Pilgrimage, Poems to Share, Portraits of the Artists, Pulitzer Plays, Required Reading, Retellings, Rise of Nazism, Robert Frost, Romantic Ideal, Seminal Statements, Seven Deadly Sins, Shakespeare Mix, Ties That Bind, What a Character, Womens Literature, World War II Innocence

Woman leading a book discussion group with a book open on her lap

Jim Schley

By Vermont Humanities | February 19, 2018

Travel radius: statewide

Posted in Facilitator, Reading and Discussion

Tags: 20C Jewish, African American Harlem, African American Memoirs, African American South, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, American Stories, Based on Real Life, BIG Books, Booker Prize, Border Crossings, Canadian Diversity, Changing South, DCF Winners, Earth Tones, Eight Great Greek, Exploring Graphic Novels, Family History, Farms Gardens, Fleeing Dictatorship, Forces of Nature, From Page to Screen, Futures, Genius Mark Twain, Get Real, Hard Look America, Healthcare Humanity, International Migrations, Justice, Legacy of Race, lgbtqia1, lgbtqia2, March, Masters Short Story, Memorable Memoirs, Mexican Americans, Most Costly Journey, Mysterious Lens, Native America, Native American Literature, New England Uncovered, Path to War, Pilgrimage, Poems to Share, Pulitzer Plays, Reintroducing Greece, Required Reading, Retellings, Revenge, Rise of English Novel, Rise of Nazism, Robert Frost, Romantic Ideal, Seminal Statements, Seven Deadly Sins, Shakespeare Mix, Soldiering On, Sustainability, Ties That Bind, Understanding Africa, Vermont Reads, What a Character, When Cultures Meet, Womens Literature, World War II Innocence

Woman leading a book discussion group with a book open on her lap

Richard M. Wizansky

By Vermont Humanities | February 19, 2018

Travel radius: Bennington, Windham, Windsor

Posted in Facilitator

Tags: 20C Jewish, African American Harlem, African American Memoirs, African American South, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, American Stories, Based on Real Life, BIG Books, Booker Prize, Changing South, Earth Tones, Eight Great Greek, Experience My World, Exploring Graphic Novels, Family History, Fleeing Dictatorship, Forces of Nature, From Page to Screen, Futures, Gastronomy, Genius Mark Twain, Get Real, Hard Look America, Immigrants, International Migrations, Legacy of Race, lgbtqia1, lgbtqia2, Making Sense Civil War, March, Masters Short Story, Memorable Memoirs, Mexican Americans, Most Costly Journey, Mysterious Lens, Native America, Native American Literature, Never-Setting Sun, New England Uncovered, Outsiders, Path to War, Pilgrimage, Poems to Share, Portraits of the Artists, Pulitzer Plays, Reintroducing Greece, Required Reading, Retellings, Revenge, Rise of English Novel, Rise of Nazism, Robert Frost, Romantic Ideal, Seven Deadly Sins, Shakespeare Mix, Soldiering On, Ties That Bind, Vermont Reads, War and Humanity, What a Character, Womens Literature

Vermont Humanities*** September 12, 2022

Poet Sarah Audsley joined us at the Taconic Mountains Ramble State Park for Words in the Woods.

Humanities Camps are filled with reading and writing projects, field trips, and outdoor activities.

We won a 2020 Schwartz Prize for best public humanities programming in the U.S. for Vermont Reads 2019: “March: Book One.”

We supported Historic New England’s “More than a Market” project that explored the experiences of new Americans through food markets.

Our free public events help bring the power of the humanities to communities across Vermont.