NNLM Book Discussion: Transcendent Kingdom

The Network of the National Library of Medicine (NNLM) invites you to participate in our next Book Discussion, open to library staff, health professionals, and public health workers. This is a chance to connect with colleagues through literature, discuss how to improve health information services, and earn Continuing Education (CE) credit.

We’ll be reading Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi, a novel that explores mental health, addiction, family, and faith. The story follows Gifty, a neuroscience PhD student at Stanford, as she investigates the neural circuits of depression and addiction—driven by the loss of her brother to a heroin overdose and her mother’s battle with grief and mental illness. As she searches for scientific explanations for their suffering, she is also drawn back to the evangelical faith of her youth, seeking answers that science alone can’t provide.

After acquiring the book in your preferred format, you can join us any time between August 1 and October 31 to participate.

Live Discussions

• August 28, 2025 at 2:00 p.m. ET Use this time converter to see when the discussion is in your time zone.
• October 23, 2025 at 2:00 PM ET Use this time converter to see when the discussion is in your time zone.

Participants can complete the book and earn CE credit on their schedule. A new book is selected each quarter. Participants can acquire the book in their preferred format and have 3 months to complete the requirements and earn 4 MLA CE by participating in either an online or live discussion. For additional information and registration details, visit the course page.