A momentous testimony.
A survivor recalls her experiences during the Salvadoran Civil War in this unflinching account.
A brief opening overview of the upheaval in El Salvador from the 1970s to the 1980s provides much-needed context for the subsequent narrative. Bridging memories from the recent present to the distant past, Saade begins in 2021, when he visited the town of Santa Marta to interview Miriam, who lived through the brutal 1981 Red Stones massacre. At age 12, she witnessed the events leading up to the killings, beginning with a protest that resulted in the deaths of over 100 people at the hands of military forces. The incident subsequently drew Santa Marta into the crosshairs, forcing men to go into hiding as it “became a town of only women and children.” With the assassination of Óscar Romero, the Archbishop of San Salvador and renowned “voice of the voiceless,” and a surge in anti-guerilla military operations in rural communities targeting the so-called “enemies of the country,” the people of Santa Marta mobilized. They mounted a resistance, resulting in a bloody confrontation and an exodus into neighboring Honduras. The atrocities committed against the people of Santa Marta detailed here are truly harrowing. Fortunately, Saade’s conversations with an older Miriam provide intervals of respite and reflection, allowing readers space to grapple with the heavy subject matter while also depicting a bright contemporary Santa Marta through the detailed, strikingly evocative artwork.
A momentous testimony. (historical note, maps, author’s note with photos, bibliography) (Graphic nonfiction. 14-18)Pub Date: March 3, 2026
ISBN: 9781728490632
Page Count: 216
Publisher: Graphic Universe
Review Posted Online: Dec. 12, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
Small but mighty necessary reading.
A miniature manifesto for radical queer acceptance that weaves together the personal and political.
Eli, a cis gay white Jewish man, uses his own identities and experiences to frame and acknowledge his perspective. In the prologue, Eli compares the global Jewish community to the global queer community, noting, “We don’t always get it right, but the importance of showing up for other Jews has been carved into the DNA of what it means to be Jewish. It is my dream that queer people develop the same ideology—what I like to call a Global Queer Conscience.” He details his own isolating experiences as a queer adolescent in an Orthodox Jewish community and reflects on how he and so many others would have benefitted from a robust and supportive queer community. The rest of the book outlines 10 principles based on the belief that an expectation of mutual care and concern across various other dimensions of identity can be integrated into queer community values. Eli’s prose is clear, straightforward, and powerful. While he makes some choices that may be divisive—for example, using the initialism LGBTQIAA+ which includes “ally”—he always makes clear those are his personal choices and that the language is ever evolving.
Small but mighty necessary reading. (resources) (Nonfiction. 14-18)Pub Date: June 2, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-09368-9
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2020
Though not the most balanced, an enlightening look back for the queer future.
An adaptation for teens of the adult title A Queer History of the United States (2011).
Divided into thematic sections, the text filters LGBTQIA+ history through key figures in each era from the 1500s to the present. Alongside watershed moments like the 1969 Stonewall uprising and the HIV/AIDS crisis of the 1980s and 1990s, the text brings to light less well-known people, places, and events: the 1625 free love colony of Merrymount, transgender Civil War hero Albert D.J. Cashier, and the 1951 founding of the Mattachine Society, to name a few. Throughout, the author and adapter take care to use accurate pronouns and avoid imposing contemporary terminology onto historical figures. In some cases, they quote primary sources to speculate about same-sex relationships while also reminding readers of past cultural differences in expressing strong affection between friends. Black-and-white illustrations or photos augment each chapter. Though it lacks the teen appeal and personable, conversational style of Sarah Prager’s Queer, There, and Everywhere (2017), this textbook-level survey contains a surprising amount of depth. However, the mention of transgender movements and activism—in particular, contemporary issues—runs on the slim side. Whereas chapters are devoted to over 30 ethnically diverse gay, lesbian, bisexual, or queer figures, some trans pioneers such as Christine Jorgensen and Holly Woodlawn are reduced to short sidebars.
Though not the most balanced, an enlightening look back for the queer future. (glossary, photo credits, bibliography, index) (Nonfiction. 14-18)Pub Date: June 11, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-8070-5612-7
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Beacon Press
Review Posted Online: March 12, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
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