Author to speak at Kent State Tuscarawas

Kent State Tuscarawas will host An Evening with Author Elizabeth Camarillo Gutierrez Monday, Nov. 3, at 7 p.m. in the Founders Hall auditorium. Gutierrez is the author of “My Side of the River: A Memoir,” the 2025 Tuscarawas County One Book, One Community title.

In “My Side of the River,” Gutierrez recounts growing up in Tucson as the U.S.-born daughter of Mexican immigrants and what happened when, at 15, her parents were forced to return to Mexico. Left to care for her younger brother while pursuing her education, she became what her school described as an unaccompanied homeless youth—one of thousands affected by family separation tied to immigration policy. The memoir explores separation, generational trauma and the costs and hopes of the American dream, and centers on the bond between a sister and brother.

Gutierrez, a Tucson native, graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2018 with a degree in philosophy, politics and economics. She has worked as a banking analyst and is now a product manager at a technology company. Her work has been featured on NPR’s “Latino USA,” and she delivered a TED Talk on opportunity and stability in the United States. She lives in Brooklyn. More: elizabethcamarillo.com.

Now in its 18th year, One Book, One Community is a grassroots reading initiative that brings Tuscarawas County together through a shared book to spark conversation and strengthen community ties.

A book signing will follow. The program is free and open to all. For more information, visit tuscliteracy.org/1b1c or contact Jim Gill or Sherrel Rieger at the Dover Public Library at 330-343-6123.