Author Talk: Stranger in the Desert with Pelham Resident Jordan Salama

One Thanksgiving afternoon at his grandparents’ house, Jordan Salama discovered a large binder stuffed with yellowing papers and old photographs—a five-hundred-year history of his Arab-Jewish family, from Moorish Spain to Ottoman Syria to Argentina and beyond. One story in particular captured his attention: that of his great-grandfather, a Syrian-born, Arabic-speaking Jewish immigrant to Argentina who in the 1920s worked as a traveling salesman in the Andes—and may have left behind forgotten descendants along the way. Encouraged by his grandfather, Jordan went in search of these “Lost Salamas,” traveling more than a thousand miles up the spine of South America’s greatest mountain range.

Join us for an evening with Jordan Salama as he discusses his new book about this journey, Stranger in the Desert. Copies will be available for purchase from the author, but of course, you are also welcome to check a copy out from the library.

Registration is suggested, but not required, for this in-person program. Click here to register.