It’s here again: our annual Books Issue. This is a joy for our staff to pull together after months of planning. I hope you find some gems for your reading list.

I want to give a shout-out to Tim Huber’s “Family’s Story Holds Its Secrets” on page 16. This article stands out because the book, Where the Poplars Grow, contains mostly photographs, and it centers the historical realities of unrest, migration and family trauma under Soviet rule in today’s Kyrgyzstan. It’s a special book that Anabaptist World is uniquely qualified to report on. I hope you can see its beauty as I do.

In the U.S., Oct.14 is Indigenous People’s Day. You might remember the previous name, Columbus Day. While some still celebrate Columbus, many have decided to honor Indigenous people instead because of the harm that Columbus and those who came after him caused to the Indigenous people — harm that remains today.

The Coalition to Dismantle the Doctrine of Discovery has created a chapbook called Transformation. You can order it on their website, and I think that reading it would be a great way to celebrate Indigenous People’s Day. It contains essays and art from seven writers, with an introduction by AW columnist Sarah Augustine. Each art piece was created by the late Bizzy Feekes, inspired by the writers’ words. The medium and the message reflect each other beautifully.

Thank you for making time to read and support AW. We are grateful to count you in our community.