Too often, when people think of Africa, they think of it as one big place, not the dozens of individual and unique countries that make up the continent. Or maybe they come up with generic images: lions on the savannah, slave ships teeming with misery, or famine and civil war.
None of these is the full picture. As Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie once said in a widely quoted TED talk, there is a danger to just one story. "The single story creates stereotypes, and the problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete," she said. "They make one story become the only story.” I read a lot and consider myself pretty open-minded, but when a colleague recommended one of this author's novels last summer, I realized that I knew very little about Africa - especially contemporary Africa. In the ensuing months, I read the book she suggested and two others that took me deep into the culture of Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa. I learned that this one country alone has more stories than I ever imagined. Some may wonder, why does it matter? Africa is so far away; it doesn't really impact our daily lives. Of course, there's the danger of a single story - when we know little about a country or people, we default to stereotypes, and stereotypes make it hard for us to empathize. Empathy not only makes us better people, it prepares us - in this interconnected world - for the eventual encounters we are likely to have. Also, what is happening in Nigeria - the conflict between ethnic groups, city life versus village life, the clash of economic and social classes, climate change issues, and emigration in hopes of a better life - is taking place in a lot of countries. These issues are changing our world, and we need to know something about them. Finally, reading about this faraway place reminds me that things such as love, family and growing up are universal. The rituals and circumstances experienced in each society may be different, but emotions and relationships are very relatable. This review covers three books, starting with Americanah by Adichie, recommended by former HHS English teacher Mrs. Pavao. The story follows Ifemelu and Obinze, teens in love when they leave Nigeria for better opportunities. Ifemelu heads to America, where she struggles with what it means to be Black, African, and an immigrant in a country divided by race. Obinze, barred from the United States, ends up an undocumented immigrant in England. Their vastly different experiences impact their relationship and, ultimately, their ideas of identity and home. I loved how the book explored so many angles and issues, and I rooted for Ifemelu to find happiness. Next I read The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Dare, suggested by English teacher Mrs. Doyle. Adunni is a 14-year-old village girl who dreams of getting an education when her father promises her as the third wife of an old man. Faced with abuse in the arranged marriage, Adunni flees to the wealthy capital city. There, she finds work in the home of a cruel businesswoman and her preying husband. Adunni dreams of using her voice to improve her own situation and help other Nigerian girls. Through every heartache, she never gives up hope. I was right there with her hoping for a happy ending. Some readers may struggle with the dialect; Adunni's English is very rough at the start of the story and improves as she grows older and more educated. But if you can stick with it, it's worth it. Finally, I returned to Adichie with Half of a Yellow Sun, which senior Elsa Little-Girl raved about. This is more historical, taking place before and during a civil war in the 1960s. Conflict between different ethnic groups leads to a massacre and war, which we experience through the lives of five unique characters: a servant boy from a small village, the university professor he works for, a young woman who prefers the intellectual life to that of her upper class parents, her bold twin sister, and a white Englishman visiting the country. I had my favorite characters, but I was fascinated by how their lives intertwined. It was a compelling way to tell the story of a society torn by civil war. Sometimes there's a gap between what we feel we should read and what we want to read. If you fear these books may seem "meaningful" but too much work, rest assured; they're also really good stories. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's TED Talk on the danger of a single story
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Zombie plagues have been the rage in TV, movies and books for years. But setting a Zombie plague during the American Civil War? Now that’s something new. Justina Ireland turns historical fiction on its head with her two-book series Dread Nation. Titled Rise Up and Deathless Divide, the books explore the racial, social and economic impacts of the ‘War Between the States’ and give new meaning to the term Reconstruction, the period of rebuilding and reunifying society after the war’s end. While no book involving zombies can be historically accurate, the stories build on the real people, events and issues of the time to highlight the brutality of slavery and the inequality that remained as the country moved forward – and westward. As the author explains in her notes, she wrote the books to give voice to characters often left out of history. The books focus on Jane and Katherine, two Black teens taken from their homes after the dead begin to rise during the Battle of Gettysburg. Like other children of their race, they are deemed inferior – and therefore expendable – and sent to boarding schools that train them to protect rich whites from the undead. (These boarding schools resembled the facilities that Native Americans were sent to in the 1800s, when the U.S. government stole their land and forced their assimilation) The girls excel in their training, but before they can be assigned to protect society ladies, they uncover a sinister plot to build a “utopia” to replace the Eastern cities falling to the zombie plague. This new community is founded on the principles of Jim Crow, the discriminatory laws that rose to continue the oppression of Blacks after slavery was abolished. This means Blacks have no rights and are assigned the most dangerous jobs and the worst living conditions. Tough-hearted and quick to temper, Jane resolves not just to survive, but to find an escape. Light-skinned and able to pass as White, Katherine plays along with the cruel society in order to help Jane’s plan to secure their freedom. There are tense battles, sorrowful deaths, cruel betrayals, heart-wrenching romances and epic friendships. And that’s just in book one. In the second book, the main characters venture west. Alive but forever changed, one seeks safety and peace while the other pursues vengeance. The books are a unique way to explore the issues of American history including slavery and Reconstruction, the government’s treatment of Native Americans, the cultural clashes that came with waves of immigration, expansion of the western frontier, and the search for the “American dream.” But if you aren’t really interested in the history, the books aren’t slowed down by it. The series provides enough action and adventure for any reader. I'd need at least a million dollars to buy all of the books I'd like for the library. Each month, I read reviews of the latest releases, and I add to my ever-growing wishlist the titles that I think students might enjoy - or might benefit from. But even though the Hanover High library is thankfully well-funded, there's never enough money for all of them. When I buy new books, I have to prioritize, and I'm usually drawn toward ones that are not just good stories or sources of information, but also shine a light on diverse perspectives. In recent years, I've purchased a lot of titles about African Americans, the LGBTQ community, immigrants and refugees. Reading can be an escape from real life, but it can also a great way to learn about new people, places and things you haven't experienced If I find a book that broadens a reader's world, while also keeping them engaged, I consider my mission accomplished. These very different titles fit the bill.
Sadie by Courtney Summers is a thriller about a teenaged girl who seeks revenge on the man that killed her little sister. As you learn about her quest, told from her point of view and that of a journalist investigating the case for a podcast, you see the dark impact of poverty, drug use and child abuse. It's a mystery that also highlights the dire circumstances many Americans are mired in. If you read this, let me know what you think of the ending. A Land of Permanent Goodbyes by Atia Abawi is a fictional story about a teenaged boy fleeing Syria after years of civil war. Written by a journalist, herself a refugee from Afghanistan as a child, the story makes real the news stories we may read - or pass by - about the thousands of people displaced by war. These refugees lose their homes, possessions and loved ones only to trek to other places that may not let them in. If a country does accept them, they still struggle to find jobs and homes, and their place in a foreign land. This story is partially told by Destiny, similar to how The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak is narrated by Death. It's an interesting way to make one boy's experience more universal. Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo is the latest novel from the highly popular author who wrote The Poet X and With the Fire on High. She focuses on the experiences of Dominican teens in the U.S., often torn between the traditions and expectations of two very different cultures. They also face stereotypes and obstacles that come with being immigrants and people of color. Even if a reader can't find the Dominican Republic on a map, they can still relate to teens who feel pressured to do well in school, fulfill their parents' expectations and struggle with relationships. The Silence Between Us by Alison Gervais is about a deaf teen who transitions back to a traditional school when her mom's job moves them across the country. A senior with big dreams of college, Maya struggles to fit in with her hearing peers who don't understand that she's limited, but also very capable. This novel gives a glimpse into deaf culture, a community that relies on its own rich language (American Sign Language) and believes being deaf has qualities and benefits worth celebrating - and certainly not just fixing. It's an enlightening perspective for many of us unfamiliar with the experiences of the hearing impaired. Everything Sad is Untrue (A True Story) by Daniel Nayeri is a quirky and wonderful book that I hope finds its audience. Based on the author's life, the novel follows Khosrou and his family as they flee religious intolerance in Iran and end up in Oklahoma. The boy, highly influenced by the Arabian Nights and other stories from his homeland, spins tales for his new classmates about who he feels he is (smart, worldly, brave) versus what he seems to be (poor, smelly, weird). As a narrator, Khosrou is informal and irreverent, flipping between the present and past, with frequent tangents that have you feeling like you're sitting beside him in conversation. Through his stories, you get a sense of his rich, complicated life in Iran, the strangeness of becoming a refugee, and the resilience needed to live through both. Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribay is a novel about a Filipino-American teen who returns to the country his family left when he was a baby so he can learn the truth about his cousin's murder. A stranger in his homeland, Jay tries to piece together the mysterious death and his extended family's baffling reaction to it. The story takes place during the brutal drug war led by dictator Rodrigo Duterte, which some have charged is an excuse by the government to rid the country of thousands of its critics as well as its most vulnerable poor. It's a topic I've seen in the news but never delved into, and seeing it through Jay's perspective captures the confusion of an outsider about policies that some call law enforcement and others call an abuse of power. “This is not a history book. At least, not like the ones you’re used to reading in school. The ones that feel more like a list of dates (there will be some), a declaration (definitely gotta mention that), a constitution (that too), a court case or two, and, of course, the paragraph that’s read during Black History Month (Harriet! Rosa! Martin!) . . . Instead, what this is, is a book that contains history. A history directly connected to our lives as we live them right this minute. This is a present book. A book about the here and now.” This declaration by author Jason Reynolds, in chapter one of Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You, reveals quite clearly that readers will get something unexpected. Few books promise to give you a definitive history of racism, and even if they tried, you’d probably require a dictionary, thesaurus and PhD to understand it. Not so with this book. It’s a young adult version of the 2016 book Stamped from the Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi, author, activist and founding director of the Boston University Center for Antiracist Research. Kendi asked Reynolds, a fiction writer whose books include All American Boys and Long Way Down, to translate his ideas for today’s teens. The book starts in 1415, with a chapter titled “The Story of the World’s First Racist.” Going back this far is a good reminder that Black history did not begin with slavery or the Civil Rights Movement. Black history has roots in the ancient empires of Africa including the Mali, Songhai and Great Zimbabwe. The other point this chapter drives home is that racism is deep-seated, and it’s often influenced by profit as much as hate. Racism isn’t just the thoughts or actions of an evil person, but policies that impact trade, government, and social norms. Systemic racism is not new, and its impact on how the world has been shaped cannot be overstated. “The construct of race has always been used to gain and keep power, whether financially or politically,” Reynolds writes. “… it’s woven into people as much as it’s woven into policy that people adhere to and believe is truth.” The book continues through history, shedding some new light on the causes of the American Revolution (Great Britain banned the slave trade, but the American colonies didn’t want to), the expansion of slavery, the Civil War (the first enslaved men who tried to fight for the North were sent back to the southern plantations they escaped from), Reconstruction and the Civil Rights Movement. It discusses well-known figures – Frederick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr., – as well as names that might be new to you – Angela Davis, Jack Johnson, Stokely Carmichael. It breaks down some of the mythology around the people and historical events that history textbooks have simplified over the years (for example, Rosa Parks was not just a tired old seamstress when she didn’t give up her seat on that bus). Of particular interest to me was more recent American history, including the “War on Drugs” in the 1980s that many studies have shown led to harsher penalties for Blacks than for whites, something still represented in our prison populations today. Another was a public school policy called No Child Left Behind in the 2000s, where schools in poor, mostly Black communities had funding pulled when they failed to meet certain standards – which caused them to fall even farther behind. The book does an amazing job tying our history together, helping us better understand the causes and effects of racism in our country so we may better understand what’s happening in our communities today. The authors do so in a way that is conversational, engaging, and even inspiring. Their hope is that young readers, equipped with this new knowledge, will not only recognize racism, but become actively antiracist – not just bystanders in the quest for a better world, but leaders of that world. When schools shut down last March due to COVID-19, after I stockpiled canned goods and toilet paper, one of the first things I did was watch Contagion. This 2011 movie, starring Matt Damon and Kate Winslet, is about a deadly pandemic that scientists are desperate to track to its source in hopes of finding a way to fight it. And then I watched Outbreak, a 1995 movie with a similar plot.
Why would I choose these, when they so closely mirrored what was happening in real life? I’d like to think I was trying to process the scary and ever-changing news. This has happened before; a virus emerges, a cure is found, life goes on. Maybe I was looking for reassurance. Or maybe I was just crazy. Neither answer explains why, as the quarantine dragged on, I found myself picking up books about pandemics and plagues. There’s definitely no shortage of them, as I found when researching this article. I’ve always been drawn to dystopian fiction, stories about life after a cataclysmic event, how people go on. Often the plagues create zombies or other monsters that the remaining humans must fight. Sometimes, the true horrors come from other people. It’s the stories of resilience and endurance that draw me in. While I struggled to work from home, cut off from friends and family, afraid that a trip to the grocery store could make me sick with an illness that had terrible consequences, I guess I needed those. Below are quick recaps of some of the books I read during the pandemic that were about a pandemic. Farther down, I list books I either read in the past or I’ve just heard good things about. If you’re like me, and looking for a story you can relate to in this crazy world, check one out. Hopefully, someday soon, these books will be the escape from reality they were meant to be. My Pandemic Reads The Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks – This story is about the OG pandemic, the Black Plague that hit England in the 17th century. With primitive medicine and backward ideas, villages hit by the plague would be sealed from the outside world in hopes of containing the spread of death. The main character, Anna, is a housemaid when the plague hits. But as the village reels, she discovers her talent for healing. She doesn’t just survive, she grows. Based on a true story. Afterland by Lauren Beukes – When a mysterious virus kills most of the men in the world, a woman struggles to keep her and her son alive, and out of the clutches of a government that wants to experiment on survivors in hopes of finding a cure. Meanwhile, her sister tries to capitalize on her nephew’s potential to bring her profit. Survivor Song by Paul Tremblay – Set in Stoughton and the surrounding area, this story takes place over the span of a few hours in one terrible day. A new virus has emerged, similar to rabies and spread by saliva – but with a much shorter incubation period. That means hours after being bitten, victims turn rabid and vicious to others. Hospitals are overrun, fights erupt at grocery stores and the military is trying to restore calm. When pregnant Natalie is bitten, she enlists her doctor friend on a longshot quest to get one of the few available vaccinations. If she can’t save herself, maybe she can save her baby. Other Recommendations Contaminated by Em Garner – Two years after a trendy diet drink spread a mysterious illness that turned victims into zombies, the government is trying to restore society. They’ve placed shock collars on the infected “connies” that will either control them or kill them. Teenaged Velvet tries to keep her and her 10-year-old sister alive. When she learns that her mother is among the infected who are set to be put to death, Velvet risks everything to save her. Quarantined by Lex Thomas – This four-book series explores a virus that makes children deadly to adults. When the students at McKinley School are infected, the building is quarantined under military rule. When gangs form and battle to survive, misfit David tries to keep him and his brother alive. The Wall by Marlene Haushofer – An ordinary woman awakes one day to find there is a wall at the end of her property and everyone else has vanished. In extraordinary times, she must live by her wits – and anything she can find on her land – to survive. Blindness by Jose Saramago – When an epidemic of blindness hits a city, the residents show the best – and worst – of mankind. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel – This story explores what it means to survive. After a mysterious flu decimates the population, a traveling band of artists, actors and musicians strives to keep humanity alive. Others, however, see the breakdown in civilization as a chance to wield brutal power. The Stand by Stephen King – A military experiment wipes out 99 percent of the world, and the handful of survivors must choose sides. Will they follow the kind but frail Mother Abigail or the powerful and cruel Randall Flagg? Considered to be one of King’s finest books. Severance by Ling Ma – Candace, a millennial living in New York, practically sleepwalks through life. So she doesn’t initially notice when a plague sweeps through the city, killing everyone who doesn’t flee. When she meets a group of survivors, who promise salvation in a destination called the Facility, she must decide whether it’s safer to join them or stay on her own. This satirical novel is part science fiction, part quirky coming-of-age story. If you enjoyed The Hunger Games trilogy of books and movies, check out The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Set during the 10th games, long before Katniss and Peeta were born, readers learn more about the war that divided Panem and led to the brutal oppression of the districts. We also get a taste of how the games evolved into the made-for-television spectacle we saw in the original books. The story focuses on President Snow when he is a teenage student, chosen to serve along with classmates as the first-ever mentors to tributes chosen for the games. If you remember Snow as president, he was a ruthless leader, rumored to have poisoned his enemies to get to the top. The Snow we see in the prequel is humbler, both in circumstances and attitude, trying to secure a bright future to support himself, his sister and grandmother. As he connects with his assigned tribute, he struggles to balance his ambition with moral questions about the games. Personally, I felt the ending was a bit rushed, but perhaps that was just a result of my feelings for the characters being turned upside down by their ultimate decisions. While I love to escape into a good fiction story, I spend a a lot of my time reading nonfiction. I love it because, even though the tale is constrained by facts, I still can be transported to different times and places and see the world through others' eyes. It has to be well-written nonfiction, though. No matter how interested I am in a topic, I don't want to read about it in a textbook. Narrative nonfiction - where the author becomes historian, scientist and storyteller - is the best kind there is. You learn while also being entertained. Below are a few titles listed on the HHS summer reading list that I really recommend.
The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel WIlkerson - I'll admit that it took me a while to pick up this book. I knew its topic - the "Great Migration" of African Americans from the southern to the northern states in the decades between the Civil War and Civil Rights Movement - was important. But I was afraid the book was going to be boring, or heavy; either way, hard to get through. I was so wrong. The author focuses on three families, exploring their lives in the South, why they fled and where they went, and what happened when they got there. The descriptions of lives limited, and often cut short, by poverty and racism in the South were heartbreaking. The stories of of the hopes people brought North with them, the opportunities they found and - more often - the obstacles they faced were eye-opening. The North was no shining star of freedom and equality, with housing and job policies set to restrict African Americans to low-paying jobs and crowded ghettos. The book helped me understand that many of the problems we have today - from crime-riddled cities to racial disparities - stem from the unfair and cruel practices of times past. All of history has contributed to where we are today, I know that. But a book like this makes the connection so obvious and hard to ignore. The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness by Sy Montgomery - This book by a well-known animal researcher and writer has a mouthful of a title, and is promoted as focusing on the inner workings of the mysterious octopus. While it reveals so many interesting facts, it also tells us a lot about the researchers themselves, in particular those working at the New England Aquarium in Boston. The author spent many months there, learning from the experts and observing the marine life in the huge central tank. How many of us have gone there on field trips, likely mirroring the author's awe as we stared into the tank? I consider this book a love letter of sorts to the aquarium and to the scientists who study, care for and protect all of the wildlife we love. Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson - This book about a young lawyer fighting to overturn the wrongful convictions of African Americans has been adapted for young adults and made into a movie. In my opinion, any version is worth your time. The book shines a light on the many flaws of our justice system, from underpaid and under-invested public defenders to racist law enforcement twisting facts to fit their narrative to poor or mentally ill defendants who cannot advocate for themselves. If you're interested in social justice, racism, law enforcement or the law, this book is for you. The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson - This author could write about the printing of the telephone book and I'd read it. He's just that good at spinning facts into engaging, fascinating stories. He's one of my favorites, and I've devoured his books: Devil in the White City (about a turn-of-the-century serial killer), Dead Wake (about the sinking of a ship that led the US into WWI), Isaac's Storm (a hurricane that destroyed Galveston, Texas), In the Garden of the Beasts (the buildup of Nazi power), and Thunderstruck (the hunt for a murderer aided by a new invention). This book follows the life of Winston Churchill, the prime minister of Great Britain in World War II, focusing on just one year - one in which France fell to the Nazis, England was nearly destroyed by months of German bombings and the United States was still trying to stay out of the war. Churchill is a mythic figure, quite a character, and this book highlights what it is like to lead a nation through tragedy. Becoming by Michelle Obama - This memoir by the former First Lady, half of the first African American couple to occupy the White House, is very moving. Reading how she overcame obstacles growing up and how she dedicated her life to helping others was inspiring. Learning more about the decisions that led President Obama to make his historic campaign was fascinating. The book also highlighted how much has changed since the 2016 election. Mrs. Obama is an accomplished, articulate, caring, funny and strong woman. While some may turn away from this book because of politics, I recommend it to anyone interested in helping others and improving our world. A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson - There are many books about people embarking on epic journeys in an attempt to overcome problems (Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer, Wild by Cheryl Strayed). This book is more about a guy who was curious about his abilities, the nature he was venturing into and the transcendent results many people claim from such a walk. The author, a humorist and essayist who has written on many topics including the history of the English language and living as an American in Europe, decides to take on the Appalachian Trail. The trail is a nearly 2,200-mile hike from Georgia to Maine, taking months to complete and disappointing many who try to make it the whole way. The book is informative - about the trail itself, what supplies and qualities it takes to hike it, etc - but it is also really funny. The author is someone we can all relate to and his traveling buddy is someone who'd be much happier eating takeout in front of the tv on his couch. Since the COVID-19 pandemic has made life more challenging for all of us, Hanover High's summer reading has been changed this year to offer more choices for students and eliminate a required assignment. The recommended titles include a variety of genres, topics and lengths. This week, I'm going to review a few of the FICTION titles that I have read and really enjoyed.
All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely - This engaging collaboration by two writers - one white and one African American - explores racism and police violence, issues that could've been pulled from the news today. When Quinn, a white teen, sees a white police officer brutalize a Black teen, his sense of justice is turned upside down. The fact that the police officer is a trusted family friend makes the situation even harder. But the book is not just told from Quinn's point of view; the Black teen, named Rashad, tells the story too. In this way, you get to explore the incident and its repercussions not just through one lens. It's a quick read that's hard to put down and the ending offers hope for healing that might help with issues we're facing in real life. Internment by Samira Ahmed - When a book or movie is called "dystopian," it usually invokes images of a post-apocalyptic society, where law and order have broken down in the wake of a terrible catastrophe like nuclear war. Books like 1984, The Hunger Games and The Road are considered dystopian. So is Internment. Unfortunately, the premise of this story feels a little too easy to imagine. It's the near future, and the U.S. government has imprisoned all Muslim-Americans in internment camps, including 17-year-old Layla and her family. Even though they are citizens, they are stripped of their rights and possessions and considered enemies of the state. This echoes what happened to Japanese-Americans during World War II, when the U.S. declared war against Japan and considered anyone with Japanese ancestry to be the enemy even if they hadn't been in Japan for generations. It also draws on the hate and fear directed at Muslims after the September 11th attacks committed by radicals in the name of their religion. This is a fast-paced, thrilling story of tolerance and reason triumphing over fear and hate. It also highlights the danger we face when we stay silent in the face of injustice. Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay - When a Jewish girl and her family are rounded up in Nazi-occupied France during World War II, the girl locks her brother in a cabinet to keep him safe. She believes she'll be back soon to let him out and resume their lives. But she never returns to the apartment and is haunted by her decision forever. Her story is uncovered by a modern-day French woman who moves into the apartment and learns she was never taught in school about this terrible roundup. Her discovery that the French government helped kill thousands of its own citizens changes her life. A heart-breaking and powerful story. With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo - Emoni, the main character of this story, is an unwed teenaged mother trying to juggle the demands of parenting, work, school and her feisty grandmother. While you might think you can't relate to her experience, I would argue you'd be wrong. Hers is a story of falling short of expectations, pushing through disappointment to pursue your dreams and overcoming financial and social obstacles - things we can all relate to no matter our culture, gender or class. Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead - Part historical fiction, part fantasy, this story imagines that the famed network to freedom is a literal train running beneath the earth. I thought this idea would be hard to accept, but the author does an amazing job weaving the imaginary with the truth. The story follows Cora as she risks everything to flee from a life of brutal slavery, bringing to life the hardships of her captive life and the dangers she faced on the way to freedom. The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michelle Richardson - During the Great Depression, when the country was sunk into desperate poverty, sometimes the only hope and diversion people could find came from books. But some rural towns were far from a library, so the government organized a group of women to deliver the library to them. These pack librarians rode horses and mules, miles each day, through rough terrain and bad weather, bringing hope via the printed word to the hopeless. In this fictionalized account, Cussy is a young woman considered an outcast in her Kentucky community because she suffers from a rare genetic disorder that turns her skin blue. She finds purpose and joy as a pack librarian., but also faces intolerance and physical danger from those suspicious of her color or the government program. Both the pack librarians and the Blue people of Kentucky are true stories. This book tells a story of tolerance and resilience in a new light. After a much too-lengthy hiatus, I'm back with new reviews. My goal is to post a few each week to help HHS students and staff discover books that might interest them. Some connect to current events, whether the pandemic we're coping with or the racial justice movement sweeping the country. Others may be ways to escape real life.
A timely read that I recently finished was The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander. Written by a Civil Rights lawyer, this nonfiction book explores how our legal system‘s decades-old War on Drugs has unfairly impacted African Americans, leading to more arrests and harsher punishments than white drug users have faced. It compares the restrictions that ex-cons face after release - limits on voting, jobs, low-income housing, and more - to the Jim Crow laws that oppressed Blacks after slavery was abolished. It is an eye-opening, disheartening look at an often unjust justice system. It pairs well with When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matters Memoir by Asha Bandele and Patrisse Cullors. This short memoir recounts the experiences of one of the founders of BLM. Growing up in an impoverished minority community, Patrisse's brother was targeted by police and, once in the system, he was unable to find jobs, housing and health care that would help him get back on his feet. As a result, he often ended up back in jail, in a system that seemed to criminalize - instead of treat - his mental illness. The memoir makes the case for more social services and fewer prisons, and sheds light one of the biggest activist groups operating today. For a break from the world's challenges, I turned to Confessions of a Prairie Bitch by Alison Angram, the actress who played the child villain of the classic TV show Little House on the Prairie. A funny memoir about growing up in Hollywood, coping with the real-life hatred of the show’s fans and hitting your professional peak as a teen. It’s also a story of the resilience of the author, who has become an activist for sexual abuse survivors. For science fans, I recommend Spook by Mary Roach, a nonfiction exploration of the afterlife, by a writer who humorously focuses on science topics you won’t see in textbooks. She’s also written about life in space (Packing for Mars), death and dead bodies (Stiff - my favorite), the human body (Gulp) and going to war (Grunt). She’s irreverent and engaging, but also can be a little graphic for some readers. For example, in Stiff, Roach visits a place where dead bodies are buried so scientists can study decomposition, which could help police determine how long ago someone died. In Packing for Mars, she discusses how we'd handle certain bodily functions during the months-long spaceflight to the planet. |
AuthorMrs. McHugh is a librarian and instructional technology specialist. She loves talking books and pop culture with her students at Hanover High School. Archives
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