18th Annual
Washington County READ

The Turtle House

by Amanda Churchill
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You know that place that overflows with memories and meaning? A place that brings you inner peace? Where you sense you truly belong? Homesick and heartsick Mineko, yearns for her turtle house in Japan, where she swam with turtles in a small lagoon and fell in love with Akio.
 
Encouraged by her granddaughter Lia, Mineko tells stories that transport the reader between war torn Japan and a small town in Texas where Mineko was taken as a war bride. In conversations they both keep hidden from their family, Mineko reveals the truth of her growing up, her American soldier husband, and the US occupation of Tokyo.
 
Though Lia comes to grasp the importance of place for her grandmother, she struggles to discover her own place in the world. Urging Lia to search for her true self, Mineko reevaluates her life in Texas and comes to realize she must find her “turtle house” once again.
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Tuesday, October 6, 2026:
The READ Event

Everyone is invited to the 2026 Washington County READ reception on October 6th. Program begins at 6 p.m with author talk and dramatic reading by Unity Theatre actors. Amanda Churchill will gladly autograph books and copies will be available for purchase. Feel free to being your own—you’ve already read it! Doors will open at 5 p.m. for food and fun. There is no charge (but tips are gladly accepted). This is our gift to the community.
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The Turtle House is available for purchase at The Book Nook, 108 S. Douglas Street in downtown Brenham.

The Nancy Carol Roberts Memorial Library has The Turtle House.

Washington County READ is on Facebook. Follow us and stay informed about this year's event!

The Author

PictureAmanda Churchill
Inspired by her own grandmother’s experiences as a Japanese war bride, The Turtle House is Texas author Amanda Churchill’s first novel. She has a master of arts in creative writing from the University of North Texas and was a Writers League of Texas fellow in 2021. Her writing has appeared in numerous publications.
Previous Community Reads:
2025:  The Music of Bees by Eileen Garvin
2024:  Once Upon a Wardrobe by Patti Callahan
2023:  This Tender Land by William Kent Kreuger
2022:  West with Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge
2021:  The Book of Lost Friends by Lisa Wingate
2020:  Getting Life by Michael Morton
2019:  The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer
2018:  The Train to Crystal City by Jan Jarboe Russell
2017:  News of the World  by Paulette Jiles
2016: City of Refuge by Tom Piazza
2015: My Boys and Girls Are in There by Ron Rozelle
​2014: One Amazing Thing by Chitra Divakaruni
2013: The Personal History of Rachel Dupree by Ann Weisgarber
2012: The Time It Never Rained by Elmer Kelton
2011: One Ranger: A Memoir by H. Joaquin Jackson and David Marion Wilkinson
2010: Twelve Mighty Orphans by Jim Dent
2009: Final Salute by Jim Sheeler