Ada’s courage in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds makes for a worthy read.
Determined to raise money to provide medical care for her tubercular son, 23-year-old Alaska Native Ada Blackjack accompanied four white explorers on an expedition to settle uninhabited Wrangel Island, far off the coast of Alaska, in August 1921.
Encouraged by the man who planned the mission—but did not join it—the intrepid group brought along inadequate supplies and demonstrated poor understanding of the peril posed by the island’s harsh winter. With supplies nearly gone and a second difficult winter looming, three of the men attempted to hike out over the pack ice but were never seen again. The fourth man, suffering from scurvy, was nursed by Ada but died at winter’s end. Ada learned survival techniques and managed until her rescue, two years after the expedition began. Using diaries (including Ada’s) and other notes the five explorers left, Caravantes provides a riveting description of their ordeal, but it is the nature of the story more than the telling of it that sustains interest. Prose is occasionally awkward and sometimes repetitious. Among the profusion of fact boxes that interrupt the flow of the narrative are many that relate to it only tangentially. However, these flaws fail to derail the effort. Caravantes explains her use of the term “Eskimo” as based on contemporary usage but fails to specifically identify Blackjack’s heritage.
Ada’s courage in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds makes for a worthy read. (endnotes, black-and-white photos, source information) (Biography. 11-18)Pub Date: March 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-61373-098-0
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Chicago Review Press
Review Posted Online: Jan. 8, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
A compelling ode to self-resurrection and Black sisterhood that finds much-needed light in the world’s darkness.
Two acclaimed, award-winning creators team up to present this moving, introspective poetry collection celebrating the possibilities of Black girlhood complemented by atmospheric mixed-media illustrations.
Showcasing varied poetic forms such as free verse and tanka, Watson reflects on coming of age as a Black girl in a society that habitually flattens Black experiences into easily digestible stereotypes. The opening poem, “Where I’m From,” is inspired by the work of Puerto Rican writer Willie Perdomo, and it peels back the layers of Watson’s identity, creating a harmonious alchemy of personal and cultural history that incorporates familiar touchstones and inheritances like “east coast hip-hop and island tradition.” Themes of resilience and perseverance are interwoven throughout, exploring how Black girls’ existence is often a testament to survival. Some poems contemplate the trauma that results from systemic racism and misogynoir; “A Pantoum for Breonna Taylor” notes how white supremacy weaponizes the basic necessity of rest: “Breonna, who reminded us that Black women / are not even safe in our sleep.” But Watson doesn’t dwell in despair; she finds safety in the healing power of love. Other poems, including “Lessons on Being a Sky Walker,” are rallying cries, encouraging Black girls to honor their roots and cherish their versatility. Watson’s reconstructions of childhood delights and teenage wounds examine the collision of race, gender, and class. Holmes’ tender, vibrant art enhances the poems.
A compelling ode to self-resurrection and Black sisterhood that finds much-needed light in the world’s darkness. (Poetry. 12-18)Pub Date: Feb. 13, 2024
ISBN: 9780593461709
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Kokila
Review Posted Online: Nov. 17, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2023
PERSPECTIVES
A must-read reminder that transformation is made possible through community.
Explores historical threads of race, faith, and family as they weave together in the transformation of youthful, imprisoned Malcolm Little into empowered, purpose-driven Malcolm X.
Shabazz, daughter of Malcolm X and Betty Shabazz, partners with rising literary star Jackson to explore 20-something Malcolm’s growth through reading, debate, and dialogue. This dedication and rediscovery of purpose, made manifest through newfound faith, would catapult him to the global stage as the chief spokesman for the Nation of Islam under the tutelage of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad. Refusing to establish his transformation as the marker of an unjust prison system’s rehabilitation strategy, this fictionalized retelling spotlights the relationships, perspectives, lessons, and questions delivered by Black men imprisoned around him and the critical embrace of a family that never abandoned him. “Wake up, Malcolm” is a cue that resounds throughout, linking the familial legacy of Malcolm’s parents, who held ties to ministry and served roles in the racial uplift mission of Marcus Garvey’s Universal Negro Improvement Association. Readers will make connections to persistent injustices faced by Black communities—and the beautiful ways which, despite that terror, Black families have found to craft visions of freedom and lives of dignity and love. This novel showcases the ways that becoming is a social process requiring care, commitment, and community but is ultimately world-changing work.
A must-read reminder that transformation is made possible through community. (more information, timeline, Malcolm X’s reading list, authors’ note) (Biographical novel. 12-18)Pub Date: Jan. 5, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-374-31329-6
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: Oct. 22, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2020
PERSPECTIVES
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