A thorough account of interest to report writers as well as young women considering a military career.
This insightful look at women serving in all branches of the United States military reveals great obstacles that have been overcome and those that remain.
Beginning with a brief historical overview, the book explains that women have served in combat roles for millennia, but it was not until 2016 that the Department of Defense removed all barriers to service for American women, including combat. Nonetheless, objections persist: Women are minorities in all branches of the U.S. military and are frequently subjected to sexism, sexual harassment, and violence. Women may also face additional layers of racial and sexual orientation discrimination. Female combat veterans face the same problems as their male counterparts, such as PTSD, accessing adequate care from the Veterans Administration, homelessness, and suicide. Despite these obstacles, the book emphasizes the positive, as thousands of women volunteer for military service, and many pursue lifelong careers. Through interviews with women from all military branches, Goldsmith (Pandemic, 2018, etc.) profiles the tremendous variety of jobs they do. Many describe the personal satisfaction and career advantages they have gained through military service. References to #MeToo and well-known veterans such as Tammie Jo Shults and Sen. Tammy Duckworth make this a timely offering. Photographs (many in full color) showing servicewomen of varying ages and ethnicities, infographics, and sidebars enhance the lively and accessible text.
A thorough account of interest to report writers as well as young women considering a military career. (timeline, notes, glossary, bibliography) (Nonfiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5415-2812-3
Page Count: 120
Publisher: Twenty-First Century/Lerner
Review Posted Online: Nov. 6, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2018
Best enjoyed by preexisting fans of the author.
Deaf, trans artist Man meditates on his journey and identity in this brief memoir.
Growing up in conservative central Pennsylvania was tough for the 21-year-old Deaf, genderqueer, pansexual, and biracial (Chinese/White Jewish) author. He describes his gender and sexual identity, his experiences of racism and ableism, and his desire to use his visibility as a YouTube personality, model, and actor to help other young people like him. He is open and vulnerable throughout, even choosing to reveal his birth name. Man shares his experiences of becoming deaf as a small child and at times feeling ostracized from the Deaf community but not how he arrived at his current Deaf identity. His description of his gender-identity development occasionally slips into a well-worn pink-and-blue binary. The text is accompanied and transcended by the author’s own intriguing, expressionistic line drawings. However, Man ultimately falls short of truly insightful reflection or analysis, offering a mostly surface-level account of his life that will likely not be compelling to readers who are not already fans. While his visibility and success as someone whose life represents multiple marginalized identities are valuable in themselves, this heartfelt personal chronicle would have benefited from deeper introspection.
Best enjoyed by preexisting fans of the author. (Memoir. 12-18)Pub Date: June 1, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-22348-2
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: March 24, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2021
A powerful reminder of a history that is all too timely today.
A beautifully heart-wrenching graphic-novel adaptation of actor and activist Takei’s (Lions and Tigers and Bears, 2013, etc.) childhood experience of incarceration in a World War II camp for Japanese Americans.
Takei had not yet started school when he, his parents, and his younger siblings were forced to leave their home and report to the Santa Anita Racetrack for “processing and removal” due to President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Executive Order 9066. The creators smoothly and cleverly embed the historical context within which Takei’s family’s story takes place, allowing readers to simultaneously experience the daily humiliations that they suffered in the camps while providing readers with a broader understanding of the federal legislation, lawsuits, and actions which led to and maintained this injustice. The heroes who fought against this and provided support to and within the Japanese American community, such as Fred Korematsu, the 442nd Regiment, Herbert Nicholson, and the ACLU’s Wayne Collins, are also highlighted, but the focus always remains on the many sacrifices that Takei’s parents made to ensure the safety and survival of their family while shielding their children from knowing the depths of the hatred they faced and danger they were in. The creators also highlight the dangerous parallels between the hate speech, stereotyping, and legislation used against Japanese Americans and the trajectory of current events. Delicate grayscale illustrations effectively convey the intense emotions and the stark living conditions.
A powerful reminder of a history that is all too timely today. (Graphic memoir. 14-adult)Pub Date: July 16, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-60309-450-4
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Top Shelf Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 4, 2019
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