Free food, free books and stimulating conversations are all part of Dean of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (AHSS) Anne McCall’s new AHSS book club. The club will begin with Julia Alvarez’s book, “In the Time of the Butterflies,” based upon the true tale of three sisters in the Dominican Republic and their battle to bring down the dictator Rafael Trujillo.

Complimentary copies of “In the Time of the Butterflies” can be picked up in Sturm 457. Open to undergraduate and graduate students, faculty and staff in AHSS, the book club sessions will meet three times and include a complimentary meal. The meetings occur on Oct. 24 at noon, Oct. 25 at noon and Nov. 1 at 8:30 a.m.

The book club is new to DU this year. It was started by Anne McCall, the Dean of AHSS, as a part of her attempt to create a stronger community within AHSS.

According to Kristin Altman, the Director of Community Relations in AHSS, there are over two-thousand students and fifteen schools and departments in AHSS, making it difficult for the students and faculty to meet one another.

The book club creates an opportunity to socialize and learn from each other.

Meetings include optional discussion questions at each table to prompt conversation. AHSS faculty hope to provide students and others attending the book club with an outlet for critical thinking, reasoning and discussion outside of the classroom.

“In the Time of the Butterflies” was chosen by Dean McCall because of its connection to the inaugural AHSS Distinguished Speaker Series. Julia Alvarez, the author, will be coming to DU April 17, 2012, as the featured speaker at the inaugural AHSS Distinguished Speaker Series.

The book club is free, but registration is required. Registration can be done through alumni relations.

For more information about AHSS book club, visit alumni.du.edu/ahssbookclub.

To learn more about the author, Julia Alvarez, and her lecture in April, visit www.alumni.du.edu/alvarezlecture.