Tuesday, May 21, 2024

The Hate U Give

I'm gonna out myself a bit, and mention that as a retired librarian I always hated being asked for book recommendations on the job. Unless, of course, they were interested in mysteries, Sci-Fi/fantasy, or how-to books. FYI: Anything in the For Dummies series is good if you need help with a skill. YouTube is great, but sometimes the books have insights videos miss.

Every now and then, though, a book comes along that is truly remarkable. I've already posted about Lessons in Chemistry as being one such remarkable book. 

Today's selection is The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. At first I admittedly was reluctant to read it. I expected it to be a bit on the pop-culture side and since it was made into a movie very quickly after it was published, I'm ashamed to say I was rather dismissive. Didn't see the movie either. Well, I was soooooo wrong.

Ms. Thomas's book is thoughtful, insightful, and made me take a hard look into any prejudices that may be lurking deep inside. As someone who grew up in multiple multi-cultural environments, I congratulated myself on being accepting of all humans on the planet. After spending time in the Southeastern portion of the U.S. and seeing firsthand the irrational racism that existed quite openly there, I thought I knew what all the problems were and how to combat them with courtesy, thoughtfulness, and an honest attempt at understanding. This book made me take a far deeper look.

I urge all to read the book and see if it opens up anything for you. 

 

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