Fall 2008 selections: The Thief and the Dogs by Naguib Mahfouz and How the García Girls Lost Their Accents by Julia Alvarez. First Year in College was created by the Center in 2007 with the goal of introducing first-year college students to challenging, inspirational stories. With this initiative, the Center hopes to enhance the academic life of Miami Dade College students, encouraging them to exchange ideas with their peers and professors.

How the García Girls Lost Their Accents by Julia Alvarez

The novel explores the issues of immigration, self-identity, cultural shock and assimilation through the story of four sisters who leave their genteel lives in the Dominican Republic for the sassy, streetwise environs of New York in the 60s.

The Thief and the Dogs by Naguib Mahfouz

Set in a post-revolutionary Egypt, Nobel Prize Laureate Mahfouz shows how resentment, reprisal and destitution can shape and shatter human destiny.