This July 4 weekend, I’ve been thinking a lot about America — the good, the bad and the ugly.
It’s a strange time to be an American. We are seeing a lot of ugly fighting between fellow citizens — all in the midst of a deadly virus that doesn’t differentiate between races or parties.
At the same time, I feel an undercurrent of hope. Because more people are recognizing our nation’s problems, maybe we are just at the beginning of a movement toward progress and a better America.
I have been trying to widen my own eyes through reading and discussion. A few friends and I are diving deep into the issue of white privilege through Layla Saad’s workbook, Me and White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor. It is by no means easy to confront the internal prejudices we all carry — no matter how progressive we think we are. However, I recommend giving it a try.
Here are a few other books I’ve been reading lately that have made me consider what it means to be an American.
There There by Tommy Orange
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
There There reveals the very real problems of an overlooked Cheyenne population that has never recovered from America’s colonization. There are many stories about the killing of this land’s Indigenous people set in the past as it happened, but I can’t remember one that so well shows the continuing consequences today.
The subject matter can be heavy, covering poverty, alcoholism and violence. However, Tommy Orange writes with an urgency that keeps the pages moving. I enjoyed how the author mixed in pop culture references to keep the story feeling current and now.
The cast of characters is large, making the list of names at the front of the book a valuable feature, but this does offer the reader a fuller range of perspectives. The approach might work even better as a two-hour film where seeing actors might make it easier to remember who everyone is and how they are related.
Definitely a book all Americans should read.
Superman Smashes The Klan by Gene Luen Yang
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book had me from the title! What better way to make Superman relevant than to write a story about the prejudices faced by immigrants? Superman is, after all, an alien.
What’s really cool about this book is that it’s targeted at a younger audience. With art by the guys who do Avatar comics, this is a fully accessible way to start teaching your kids about America’s history with racism and hate groups like the Klan. It also provides an under-told perspective of the struggles faced by Chinese American families in the late ’40s.
Bitter Root, Vol. 1: Family Business by David F. Walker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was a fun introduction to a family that fights demons that fuel racism in America. Bitter Root is like the social justice version of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Creators Walker and Brown keep the pages turning with a lot of movement on each page. The characters each have their own personalities, keeping things light even in the face of true horror. I haven’t seen monsters this gruesome since Animal Man, Volume 1: The Hunt.
I’m hoping subsequent volumes go a little deeper into each Sangeyre family member’s backstory. For a cold open, volume one really gets the reader’s attention. Excited to see where the story goes from here…
The Testaments by Margaret Atwood
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
A great follow-up to The Handmaid’s Tale that should please fans of that book and the TV show alike. Overall, this is a more optimistic book that’s far less brutal than what we’re used to in this world. Not that bad stuff doesn’t happen, but hope permeates throughout. Probably, that is the very kind of dystopian novel we need in these unusual times.
Atwood has a fluid way of communicating that makes reading this novel a breeze, even though she never dumbs things down or writes sensationally like typical mainstream fare. This could have been a lazy money grab after the success of the TV show, but Atwood has written a worthy sequel that should stand the test of time just like its forebearer.
How Long ’til Black Future Month? by N.K. Jemisin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Great collection of fantasy and sci-fi short stories by an author with a unique, refreshing voice. Enjoyed how Jemisin brings in New Orleans and other elements unusual to the genre. Some stories are stronger than others, but there are quite a few collected here with no real clunkers in the set. If you’ve been looking for something new in the sci-fi/fantasy genre, this is for you.
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