Originally planned as a gathering of 25 because of the bookstore’s limited seating and space, the event ultimately welcomed approximately 30 to 32 guests, as several attendees arrived with friends. The audience listened as Hirezi-Mugnier read selected passages from her memoir and shared some of the stories behind them.
The afternoon reflected the deeply personal nature of Scattered, Yet Whole, which traces Hirezi-Mugnier’s journey from her childhood in Bethlehem through a life that would take her across six countries and place her amid historic events, including the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait and the Oslo peace process in Washington, D.C.
The owners of Red Stick Reads worked closely with the author to create a welcoming setting for the gathering. In a gesture Hirezi-Mugnier found especially meaningful, they encouraged her to bring her own traditionally brewed Turkish coffee from home—a custom she has made part of her local book events—even though Red Stick Reads also operates as a coffee shop.
“That generosity touched me,” Hirezi-Mugnier said. “Sharing Turkish coffee has become part of the experience at my book events. It is a little piece of home and tradition that I enjoy sharing with my guests. The owners of Red Stick Reads cared more about making the gathering special than about selling a few more cups of coffee.”
Following the reading and discussion, guests formed a long line to purchase and have their copies signed. The signing itself became an extension of the gathering, with guests talking, laughing and visiting with one another as they waited.
One attendee, who has now attended two of Hirezi-Mugnier’s four local book events, wrote to her the following morning:
“I am transported to your world and I am able to feel and smell and hear the same things you experienced in your younger years when I hear you read your book. I feel as if I am there myself, feeling the warmth of your loving parents and experiencing the innocence of your childhood.” She concluded by telling the author, “It truly deserves the big screen. I love being a part of your journey.”
Scattered, Yet Whole tells the story of a Palestinian Christian woman whose life was repeatedly reshaped by war, migration and unexpected turns, while remaining anchored in family, faith and a sense of belonging. Through personal memories and eyewitness accounts of historic events, Hirezi-Mugnier invites readers to encounter the human story behind places and events too often known only through headlines.
The memoir was named a Finalist in the 2025 Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards.
For Hirezi-Mugnier, however, the success of Sunday’s gathering was measured most simply by the connection between storyteller and audience.
“There is something very special about reading your own memories aloud and watching people laugh with you, become quiet with you, and sometimes become emotional with you,” she said. “By the end of the afternoon, it did not feel like an author speaking to an audience. It felt like people sharing stories together.”
