Samantha Ellis’s Always Carry Salt: A Memoir of Preserving Language and Culture is the One Bay One Book selection for 2026-27.
The daughter of refugees from Baghdad, Samantha Ellis grew up surrounded by the sounds of Judeo-Iraqi Arabic—a language whose speakers are dwindling in number. In exploring how she can transmit this rich heritage to her son, Ellis considers what we lose, keep, or let go of to preserve our cultures and ourselves. Always Carry Salt is an immersive and moving meditation on the power of language, both to connect us to the past and to create a hopeful future.
“Samantha Ellis’s powerful memoir Always Carry Salt exemplifies diaspora yearning and determination. Written with the belief that ‘sleeping languages can be kissed back to life,’ Always Carry Salt is a remarkable memoir about what we pass down and why.” – Foreword, starred review
“Ellis elicits hope and heartbreak in this moving exploration of her Iraqi Jewish roots. She successfully highlights both the richness of her mother tongue and the existential stakes of her quest. The journey is equal parts inspirational and edifying.” – Publishers Weekly
Click here for extensive resources for discussing Always Carry Salt.
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One Bay One Book is a year-long conversation connecting Bay Area readers through discussions and events centered around a selection of current Jewish literature and its themes.
Book Groups:
Sets of Always Carry Salt are available free of charge on a first-come, first-served basis to book groups through our Book Club in a Box lending program. The Library also offers the audiobook version through our ebook program. For more information, please write to info@jewishcommunitylibrary.org
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