Goudeau wins Christopher Award for "After the Last Border"

Austin-based author Jessica Goudeau received a Christopher Award for After the Last Border: Two Families and the Story of Refuge in America (Viking/Penguin Random House). It is one of 12 books for adults and young people by 17 authors and illustrators honored as the Awards mark their 72nd year. The authors join creators of 10 winning TV/Cable and feature films.

Goudeau chronicles the lives of two refugees—Mu Naw a Christian from Myanmar and Hasna, a Muslim from Syria—who escape violence and persecution in their homelands to resettle in Austin, hoping to build a better life with their families.

The #ChristopherAwards were created in 1949 to celebrate authors, illustrators, writers, producers and directors whose work “affirms the highest values of the human spirit,” and reflects The Christophers' motto, “It’s better to light one candle than to curse the darkness” said Tony Rossi, director of communications.

Goudeau tracks the human impact of America’s ever-shifting refugee policy as two women narrowly escape from their home countries and begin the arduous but lifesaving process of resettling in a city that would show them the best and worst side of America. She tracks how America’s changing attitudes toward refugees have influenced policies and laws, as well as the profound impact on human lives.

The author has spent 10+ years working with refugees in Austin. She cofounded Hill Tribers, a nonprofit that provided supplemental income for Burmese refugee artisans for seven years. She has written for a wide range of publications including The Atlantic, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times and Teen Vogue and produced a documentary about a young girl who, alone, crossed the border into the US. She has a PhD in literature from the University of Texas and served as a Mellon Writing Fellow and Interim Writing Center Director at Southwestern University.

The Christophers, a nonprofit founded in 1945 by Maryknoll Father James Keller, is rooted in the Judeo-Christian tradition of service to God and humanity. More information about The Christophers is available at www.christophers.org.