At the age of 15, Massoud Kohistani was chosen along with 40 other first-time students from Afghanistan to spend a year with an American family and learn about democracy. Massoud touched down on American soil in Washington, D.C. but unfortunately, at the last minute, a few of the students were left without host families or supervision. Welcome to democracy, where freedom to choose can also lead to freedom not to choose.

However, at the last moment Kara Espindle, who was working in D.C. at the time, came to the rescue and urged her parents, Dyan and David, of Vineyard Haven to help out with this pilot program. The Espindles agreed and Massoud became a member of their family, the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School and the entire Island community.

Tonight at 7 p.m. at the Vineyard Haven Public Library, Massoud is giving a talk about his experiences entitled My Round Trip from Afghanistan to the USA and My Struggle to Return

For more details, call 508-696-4211 or visit vhlibrary.org.