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About

The Newport Beach Public Library is the cultural heart of the community, serving more than one million patrons each year. We are an essential provider of books, information, and technology, through the Central Library and our three branches: Mariners, Balboa, and Corona del Mar.

Hours and Locations

Addresses, phone numbers, maps, and hours for NBPL locations

How to Get a Library Card

Information about getting a card

About Newport Beach

General information about the City of Newport Beach

History of the Newport Beach Public Library

The Newport Beach Public Library has a long history of service to the community

Board of Library Trustees

Information about the governing board of the library

Library Policies

Rules for using the Newport Beach Public Library

Literacy Services

Project Adult Literacy is located on the lower level of the Central Library, and provides services for adults seeking to improve their English reading and writing skills

Cultural Arts

The Cultural Arts Division of the Newport Beach Public Library, with guidance and support by the Newport Beach City Arts Commission, brings cultural and arts programming to the community

Friends of the Library

The Friends of the Library fund children's programs, Sunday Musicales, and other library programs through used book sales and donations

NBPL Foundation

The Newport Beach Public Library Foundation funds valuable library resources and services, and presents a variety of literary programs design to engage the community

News & Press

News releases, facts & figures, photos, and other information helpful in preparing articles about NBPL and upcoming events

Contact Us

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Book Discussion Group

"Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China" by Jung Chang

BOOK DISCUSSION GROUP 2025-2026

Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China by Jung Chang - presented by NBPL Foundation

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October 8, 2025

Jung Chang’s grandmother’s feet were bound as a child, and she was given to a warlord general as a concubine. As the general lay dying, she fled with her infant daughter. That daughter grew up to become active in the Communist movement during the civil war against the Kuomintang.  Following the Communist victory in 1949 she and her husband became senior officials. Jung Chang, their daughter, was raised in the privileged circles of China’s Communist elite but was to take the unimaginable step of questioning Mao himself. Her parents were denounced and tortured, and she herself was exiled to the edge of the Himalayas. Breathtaking in its scope, unforgettable in its description of China’s long nightmare, it is both an important work of history and a remarkable human document.

 Meeting Details:

  • Friends Room, Central Library, 1000 Avocado Avenue, Newport Beach, CA
  • 2nd Wednesday of the month / September to May
  • 9:30am - 11:00am / doors open at 9:15am
  • FREE (a suggested donation of $10.00 is always appreciated)
  • No Reservations required
  • Come whether you’ve read the book or not as The Group is kind, curious, and engaging!  

The Book Discussion Group members select, read, and discuss 9-10 books per year. This active and dynamic Group meets on the 2nd Wednesday of the month from 9:30am - 11:00am in the Friends Room at the Central Library. All are welcome whether you’ve read the book or not and the program is FREE. Refreshments are provided and the books are available through the Newport Beach Public Library.

 

For detailed 2025-2026 Book Discussion Group reading list: https://nbplf.foundation/programs/book-discussion-group/

  

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