THE FIGHT OF OUR LIVES

AIDS in America: a story of injustice and resistance.

Written for readers who are growing up in an era where AIDS is treatable, this book reconstructs the terror of the 1980s and 1990s, when it was a deadly epidemic whose victims faced fear, stigma, and prejudice. The authors also examine how the crisis forged heroes, sparked movements fighting for justice and dignity, and evoked compassion from unexpected places. Rooted in science, history, and statistics—but also channeling the emotional power of firsthand testimonies—this work is a must-read for its broad coverage of individuals and collectives who stepped up to combat neglect with activism and apathy with care. This account chronicles the work of ACT UP, the Hetrick-Martin Institute, Project Lazarus, and the San Diego Blood Sisters, among others. Its strength lies in the diverse voices—male, female, nonbinary, gay, lesbian, bisexual, straight, transgender, cisgender, white, people of color, urban, and rural—represented through narrative nonfiction, interviews, poetry, speeches, news reports, obituaries, and artwork. While the story sets out to tell the story of AIDS in America, it displays an awareness of the global nature of the epidemic. Balancing rigorous research with accessibility for teen readers is no small feat, but the co-authors achieve it by drawing on their complementary expertise: Levithan is a Lambda Literary Award–winning YA writer, and Duckels is a scholar of young readers’ literature focusing on the cultural politics of HIV/AIDS.

Honors the dead and inspires the living.