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trashylvania · 3 years

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Black Lives Matter, amirite?

I'm near-certain that the only possible context for your sardonic response is a post I made yesterday about wanting to get my mom out of the dangerous neighborhood she's in because I'm terrified she's gonna be a victim of violent crime, and instead of quickly contradicting your implied assumptions and calling you a racist and a troll, I'm gonna use your question as my framing to talk about some issues I don't see people discussing often enough on here. I've been meaning to write a long-form political post for a while, and your response has given me an excuse to finally do so. I write about and study these topics academically in the social sciences + public policy studies and want to share some of what I've learned, in case you or anyone reading is interested.

As for racial stereotypes regarding crime in Chicago (the city where my mom and I are from), some high-crime neighborhoods in Chicago have a notable, historical racial component thanks to generational disadvantages imposed by a housing policy known as 'redlining' from the 1930s to the 1960s: as a quick summary, this was a primarily racially discriminatory practice that essentially prevented majority-black families from moving out of the inner city by designating them as too high of an investment risk for banks to provide home loans, which really started devastating majority-black communities once deindustrialization hit and factory jobs left -- leading to a rapid increase in poverty and loss of most employment opportunities within those communities. (Here's some links on this phenomenon: history of redlining in Chicago, effects still felt today in communities historically affected by redlining, and a research journal examining how practices like redlining isolate these neighborhoods from the rest of the city and create essentially a bubble of violent crime).

However, despite your implicit assumptions, that's not the case in the neighborhood my mom and I are from. In this case, both the victims and perpetrators of crime are from all backgrounds: black, brown, and white. Why? Because our neighborhood, like many in Chicago and across America, has been heavily affected by the Opioid Epidemic. The real criminals, systemically speaking, are predatory and negligent pharmaceutical corporations.

While the running narrative and assumption is that the Opioid Epidemic is really only a problem in majority-white, poor rural communities, it isn't (and side note: if your activism neglects or shuns poor rural and urban whites, you don't really give a shit about actual social justice, please clout-chase elsewhere). The Opioid Epidemic's effects are way more far-reaching than people might realize and has absolutely decimated poor and working-class communities all throughout the country, inside and outside of cities; the residual effects of the policy failure known as "the War on Drugs" (which in practice was more of a "war on the poor, black, and brown") has absolutely served to exacerbate these issues, but is also entwined with government lenience on corporate crimes, corporate lobbying for deregulation policies, lack of access to information resources and infrastructure for public healthcare in both rural and inner-city areas, the stigmatization of addiction and mental illness, the Global Economic Recession of 2008 and its effects on employment, deindustrialization and economic globalization's twin impact on the loss of American manufacturing jobs, etc that has lead to a social, economic, and cultural epidemic of nationwide despair that has yet to be addressed with substantive national policy in a holistic manner. (Here's some links: a research article that I think is one of the best overviews of the Opioid Epidemic's causes and impacts, a research article that details how pharmaceutical companies dodge litigation and includes the results of court cases and how paltry the consequences were compared to the devastation their drugs, negligence, and profit-seeking cause, a manuscript on research and policy aimed at combating the epidemic and how it affects socioeconomically depressed groups such as incarcerated people, veterans, and rural communities, and a well-sourced article that is admittedly politically biased towards my view that single-payer healthcare is the only substantive policy solution for the Opioid Epidemic and widespread health issues in general).

Pretty much everyone knows at least a few people who are addicted, or who overdosed, or were killed by drug-related violent crime in areas like this. That's messed up, and because it's ultimately perpetuated by corporations and its impact is greatly exacerbated by class, I don't expect this administration or rich neolibs on Twitter moralizing for social capital to do much of anything substantial or give a single genuine call to action on it. This opens up a whole conversation about how social justice has been co-opted by wealthy interests who have eclipsed class issues with weaponized identity politics -- before anyone gets angry, identity politics are still worth addressing especially as they intersect with class issues, but sufficiently analyzing this topic in a critical manner easily warrants its own separate post. (Nonetheless, here are some links on how easily social justice narratives can be manipulated by those with wealth and influence to ultimately perpetuate inequality and retain the economic status quo: - an excerpt from Manufacturing Consent that describes this phenomenon, which has existed long before the advent of social media, an article with a link to a great report about how social media politics are not representative of the majority of Americans' views [crucial if you care about effectively communicating your goals and motivating people to help your cause; also surprisingly, the linked report illustrates that most Americans in the real actual world are more tolerant than given credit for, and their issues with social justice stem from how activists - primarily those based in social media - approach political discourse], and a fantastic article about how neoliberalism's hyperindividualist fracturing of identity has negatively impacted substantive progress).

So, all in all, I see the damage done by the influx of opioids in my old neighborhood and the violence it precipitates due to a lack of proper rehabilitative and medical infrastructure for poor and working-class people. People with addictions are treated like criminals and thrown in my county's overfilled prisons. It pisses me off that this isn't addressed enough, because it's an absolute outrage, and exposes how these systems would rather let our classes kill each other or die before holding pharmaceutical corporations properly responsible and instituting universal healthcare for poor and working-class people.

I hope to see a call in the near future for more cohesive discourse and activism that isn't harmfully devoted to the atomization of identity and that isn't dictated by academics in the Humanities, wealthy influencers, establishment politicians, celebrities, or Extremely Online activist personalities -- all who are out of touch with real-life people, the issues they face, and how they speak about and view them through their own lens. Because if you want meaningful progress, ignoring or paying mere lip service to class/economic issues -- and their impact on sociocultural issues -- will ensure you never actually get progress as long as you willfully look the other way.

#trash.txt #i encourage reblogs if you wanna share the info!#because i kinda write these off the cuff it is definitely not comprehensive #and since i'm not exactly writing a book here it really shouldn't be expected to be comprehensive lol #i don't get politically-related asks often and this was something i wanted to post about soon regardless #feel free to add to this discussion but please do not use this as an opportunity to plug harmful or divisive narratives #and let me know if you find any great reading material to add to this #trying to keep my writing and research skills sharp while on break i guess lol #ask #anon #hope i don't get hell for this for some reason but i think if we fail to constructively criticize social justice it will fall apart #plus i notice a lot of people forgetting that economic justice is a big huge part of achieving progress and wanted to focus on that

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hub-pub-bub · 5 years

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Drawing on news and reviews, personal reading and publishers’ insights, LJ seasonally gathers the best forthcoming novels for your perusal. In this list, "Books To Get" covers titles published from June through September that have received the imprimatur of LJ reviewers, while "Books To Anticipate" ranges all the way to February 2020 to highlight the most promising titles, ones you should be considering now. As always, there are trends to note—a continuing boom in strong sf/fantasy titles, a concern with family, awareness of important contemporary issues from the refugee crisis to #MeToo, and more own-voices writing. For more June titles, see "Books To Antipcate" in Winter/Spring Bests," LJ 3/19.

Books To Get

General Fiction

Coates, Ta-Nehisi. The Water Dancer. One World. Sept. 2019. 256p. ISBN 9780399590597. $27; ebk. ISBN 9780399590603. LITERARY/HISTORICAL National Book Award winner Coates portrays the enslaved Hiram Walker, guided by mysterious powers, who eventually rescues the family he made for himself at the Walker Plantation. "Coates cites Toni Morrison and E.L. Doctorow as huge influences in writing this book, and the scope and seriousness on display here would make them both proud." (Forthcoming LJ review)

Dukess, Karen. The Last Book Party. Holt. Jul. 2019. 256p. ISBN 9781250225474. $27; ebk. ISBN 9781250225467. LITERARY Aspiring writer Eve Rosen catches a break when she gets invited to an event at the Cape Cod home of New Yorker writer Henry Grey and his poet wife, eventually becoming Grey’s research assistant and landing at the couple’s oh-so-chic Book Party. But is publishing really that glamorous? "The ideal summer read for book people." (Web Exclusive, 6/14)

Folarin, Tope. A Particular Kind of Black Man. S. & S. Aug. 2019. 272p. ISBN 9781501171819. $26; ebk. ISBN 97150111826. LITERARY A Caine Prize winner and Rhodes Scholar, Nigerian American Folarin explores the difficulties of assimilation through the life of Tunde Akinola, whose family has immigrated to Utah. "Folarin deepens our understanding of cultural identity and race within the caustic malaise that is modern American culture." (LJ 7/19)

Horrocks, Caitlin. The Vexations. Little, Brown. Jul. 2019. 464p. ISBN 9780316316910. $28; ebk. ISBN 9780316316934. LITERARY/HISTORICAL Plimpton Prize winner Horrocks chronicles Erik Satie, the French composer whose elusive music helped usher in a new era, showing us a genius who could be a prickly friend, lover, and brother. "Horrocks turns what could have been a maudlin retelling into a heartbreakingly beautiful novel about the sacrifices people make for what they hold dear." (LJ 7/19)

Koe, Amanda Lee. Delayed Rays of a Star. Nan A. Talese: Doubleday. Jul. 2019. 384p. ISBN 9780385544344. $27.95; ebk. ISBN 9780385544351. LITERARY/HISTORICAL In 1928 Berlin, photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt captures rising stars Marlene Dietrich and Anna May Wong and soon-to-be-vilified director Leni Riefenstahl in a single frame, from which Koe spins a tale of racism, fascism, and the price of stardom. "Koe’s flawless and enchanting writing draws the reader directly into…this superb novel." (Forthcoming LJ review)

Montag, Kassandra. After the Flood. Morrow. Sept. 2019. 432p. ISBN 9780062889362. $27.99; ebk. ISBN 9780062889393. LITERARY/DYSTOPIAN With America a mere string of mountaintop islands after massive flooding, Myra survives with her younger daughter by fishing and barter, then dodges pirates as she sets out to find her older daughter, taken by her husband to the cold North. "This postapocalyptic novel reads like a fast-paced screenplay: intense, visceral, and relentless." (Forthcoming LJ review)

Prescott, Lara. The Secrets We Kept. Knopf. Sept. 2019. 368p. ISBN 9780525656159. $26.95; ebk. ISBN 9780525656166. LITERARY/THRILLER Two secretaries pulled from the mostly Seven Sisters–educated CIA typing pool are tasked with smuggling a manuscript of Boris Pasternak’s Doctor Zhivago out of the Soviet Union, their efforts intertwined with the love story of Pasternak and his mistress, Olga Ivinskaya. "Prescott writes with astonishing assurance, keeping the reader enthralled with tales of secret agents and intrigue, love and betrayal." (Forthcoming LJ review)

Ramzipoor, E.R. The Ventriloquists. Park Row: Harlequin. Aug. 2019. 544p. ISBN 9780778308157. $26.99; ebk. ISBN 9781488035142. HISTORICAL In 1943 Brussels, a group of dissident journalists and resistance fighters captured by the Germans are told to write Nazi propaganda but instead risk everything as they secretly produce a single-edition newspaper called Le Faux Soir lampooning Hitler. "First-novelist Ramzipoor bases her engrossing novel on real-life events and extensive research. Highly recommended." (Forthcoming LJ review)

Tomar, Ruchika. A Prayer for Travelers. Riverhead. Jul. 2019. 352p. ISBN 9780525537014. $27; ebk. ISBN 9780525537038. LITERARY In a hardscrabble desert town, Cale’s friend Penny has gone missing. But the real mystery is Cale herself, raised by her grandfather, friendless in high school, then looped into arrogant her former classmate’s glow until one fierce, mysterious moment shoves them apart and sends Cale on a quest to find her Penny. "Gorgeous if relentless and heart-ripping." (Forthcoming LJ review)

In the Family

Bobotis, Andrea. The Last List of Miss Judith Kratt. Sourcebooks Landmark. Jul. 2019. 320p. ISBN 9781492678861. pap. $15.99; ebk. ISBN 9781492678878. HISTORICAL Bobotis unfolds the complicated relations binding the white Kratt family and African American members of their South Carolina community in a saga that’s both deeply affecting and thrillerlike twisty as it discloses dangerous secrets the characters have held close over decades. Finally, there’s the question, Who killed Judith’s brother, Quincy? "Rich in detail, this novel will transport readers between past and present, presenting historical issues of race, class, and belonging." (LJ 6/19)

Raheem, Zara. The Marriage Clock. Morrow Paperbacks. Jul. 2019. ISBN 9780062877925. pap. $15.99; ebk. ISBN 9780062877932. FAMILY LIFE Leila Abid’s parents want to find a husband for her in their South Asian–Muslim American community, so Leila finally agrees that if she can’t find true love in three months, they can play matchmaker. "This charming and humorous novel will appeal to a wide audience." (Web Exclusive, 6/14/19)

Savage, Lila. Say Say Say. Knopf. Jul. 2019. 176p. ISBN 9780525655923. $24; ebk. ISBN 9780525655930. LITERARY/FAMILY LIFE Nearing 30, once-aspiring artist Ella wonders if she’s wasting her capabilities by working as a caregiver yet feels she makes a difference every day. Currently, she tends to sixtyish, brain-injured Jill, who can barely speak yet whose retired carpenter husband Bryn shows her a tenderness that teaches Ella a lesson about enduring love. "Graced with quiet drama." (Forthcoming LJ review)

Smith, Sarah Elaine. Marilou Is Everywhere. Riverhead. Jul. 2019. 288p. ISBN 9780525535249. $26; ebk. ISBN 9780525535263. COMING OF AGE Scraping by in rural Pennsylvania with two older brothers after their mother finally wanders off for good, 14-year-old Cindy is mistaken for vanished glamour-queen teen Jude by Jude’s burnt-out hippie-artiste mom and enters a whole new life. But it’s not a lush Cinderella story. "Unexpectedly hard-edged and engrossing." (Forthcoming LJ review)

Tilley, Jim. Against the Wind. Red Hen. Sept. 2019. 296p. ISBN 9781597098359. pap. $16.95. LITERARY/FAMILY LIFE Six characters, from a transgender teen being raised by his grandparents to a Quebec separatist politician caught between her French Canadian lover and English Canadian suitor, grab at second chances. "Unbelievably, this is a first novel from an author with a Ph.D. in physics from Harvard. One can hope there will be many more." (Forthcoming LJ review)

Vatner, Jonathan. Carnegie Hill. St. Martin’s. Aug. 2019. 352p. ISBN 9781250174765. $27.99; ebk. ISBN 9781250174772. FAMILY LIFE Newly married Penelope, still unfocused at age 33, has married Rick despite her parents’ misgivings. Now she’s looking at other couples in her fancy Chelmsford Arms building in New York’s Carnegie Hill neighborhood, wondering how they manage their relationships. "An excellent read for those seeking an explorative look at marriage in all of its various stages." ( LJ7/19)

Wall, Cara. The Dearly Beloved. S. & S. Aug. 2019. 352p. ISBN 9781982104528. $26.99; ebk. ISBN 9781982104542. LITERARY Two men are appointed co-ministers of a much-loved New York City church in the 1960s, with Charles a true believer though his wife is an atheist and James more interested in the social change religion can bring though his wife is a traditionalist. "Written with compassion and care, this book will be beloved by book clubs." (Forthcoming LJ review)

Sf/Fantasy

Beckett, L.X. Gamechanger. Tor. Sept. 2019. 576p. ISBN 9781250165268. $26.99; ebk. ISBN 9781250165244. FANTASY In a 22nd-century world that has "bounced back" from 2060’s environmental devastation, people embrace highly regulated stability over privacy, and Rubi, a famed VR gamer–turned–lawyer for the mentally ill, finds newest client Luciano Pox a challenge. "Richly imagined, fast-paced climate change fiction." (LJ 7/19)

Buxton, Kira Jane. Hollow Kingdom. Grand Central. Aug. 2019. 320p. ISBN 9781538745823. $27; ebk. ISBN 9781538745816. lib. ebk. ISBN 9781538732571. FANTASY Buxton introduces a brave, smart, loyal, and caustically witty domesticated crow named S.T. (that’s short for Shit Turd), who wheels into action in hopes of saving owner Big Jim—and finally the whole human race—when apocalypse-by-virus hits. The result is an intriguing and humbling animals’ perspective on our world and just as intriguing a view on theirs. "Buxton’s unique sense of dark humor takes center stage." (LJ 5/19)

Fehst, Zach. American Magic. Atria. Aug. 2019. 320p. ISBN 9781501168611. $27; ebk. ISBN 9781501168628. FANTASY Incantations posted on the dark web could allow people to use magic—for evil as well as fun. So the CIA yanks back a difficult operative they let go and asks him to contain the problem. "Jack Reacher and Jack Ryan meet Harry Potter in this wild thrill-a-minute ride." (LJ 7/17)

Muir, Tamsyn. Gideon the Ninth. Tor.com. Sept. 2019. 448p. ISBN 9781250313195. $25.99; ebk. ISBN 9781250313171. FANTASY In a world of lesbian necromancers and reanimated skeletons, an indentured young orphan named Gideon could win her freedom serving as the swordswoman for the Ninth Necromancer, herself answering the emperor’s call to fight. "At once sarcastic, sincere, heart-wrenching, and honest pulpy enjoyment, … Muir’s debut is a fantastic sf/fantasy blend." (LJ 7/19)

Naslund, Brian. Blood of an Exile. Tor. (Dragons of Terra). Aug. 2019. 416p. ISBN 9781250309631. $29.99; pap. ISBN 9781250309648. $16.99; ebk. ISBN 9781250309624. FANTASY A disgraced if brilliant dragon fighter is asked by Princess Ashlyn to rescue her kidnapped sister and, coincidentally, assassinate the Balarian emperor, who wants to drive up the price of dragon oil by killing all the dragons coming to breed in his kingdom. "Dynamic characters…, and the environmental impact of dragon extinction adds a new dimension" ( LJ 7/19)

Turnbull, Cadwell. The Lesson. Blackstone. Jun. 2019. 275p. ISBN 9781538584644. $26.99; ebk. ISBN 9781538584668. SF Technically advanced aliens called the Ynaa have landed on St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands, declaring peaceful intentions yet ferociously ripping apart any human who crosses them. Then, on the first anniversary of a teenager’s killing by an Ynaa, a vividly depicted group of interlinked characters are drawn into the escalating anger. "A compelling read....The author, who crafts speculative stories featuring black characters on par with Octavia Butler, is definitely one to watch." (LJ 5/19)

Suspense

Matthews, Owen. Black Sun. Doubleday. Jul. 2019. 320p. ISBN 9780385543408. $26.95; ebk. ISBN 9780385543415. SUSPENSE In early Cold War days, as the Soviet Union races to create its own atomic bomb, a key engineer appears to have committed suicide via radiation poisoning, and the KGB sends a special agent to investigate. "Based on the lives of real dissident Soviets, [this novel] balances techno-thriller realism with human ambition, greed, and ultimately, love." (LJ 7/19)

Nieh, Daniel. Beijing Payback. Ecco: HarperCollins. Jul. 2019. 320p. ISBN 9780062886644. $26.99; ebk. ISBN 9780062886668. crime When Victor Li finds a letter among his murdered father’s possessions confessing that he wasn’t just a hard-grubbing restaurateur but part of a globe-stretching Chinese crime syndicate he eventually defied, Victor determines to take up what his father couldn’t do. "Nieh’s tale grabs the reader early and doesn’t readily let go." (LJ 6/19.)

Vilhauer, Ruvanee Pietersz. The Mask Collectors. Little A: Amazon. Jun. 2019. 352p. ISBN 9781503903678. $24.95; pap. ISBN 9781503903661. $14.95; ebk. ISBN 9781503958654. SUSPENSE When former classmate Angie Osborne is found dead, Grace McCloud learns to her dismay that Angie, a journalist, had been investigating the miracle drug Grace’s anthropologist husband is now being asked to endorse. And the race to uncover a conspiracy is on. "An unsettling and visionary novel of suspense." (LJ 6/19)

Books To Anticipate

Angelo, Megan. Followers. Graydon House: Harlequin. Jan. 2020. 432p. ISBN 9781525836268. $26.95. ebk. ISBN 9781488051296. SPECULATIVE Dream-dashed Orla must blow off her literary fiction to write about movie stars and yoga influencers until she and new roommate Floss come up with a mind-blowing social media plan that pushes past current online ethics (such as they are). Decades later, in a sealed-off California village, the government-proclaimed famous live their entire lives on camera: "The black gem on her wrist nicked her gently. " I have a message from production, came the voice in her brain. I should return to an on-camera space….I have lost seventy-eight followers during this off-camera-time. " A deftly drawn futuristic setting creating au courant shivers.

Bump, Gabriel. Everywhere You Don’t Belong. Algonquin. Feb. 2020. 272p. ISBN 9781616208790. $25.95; ebk. ISBN 9781643750224. LITERARY Young African American Claude Mackay Love comes of age on Chicago’s South Side, raised by his Civil Rights–era grandmother and contending with the strains caused by vanished parents, familial expection, school bullies, a struggling neighborhood, and all-American racism. A riot convinces him that he had better leave, and he heads to journalism school in Missouri. But Claude will spend a lot of time trying to find where he belongs. "And my life went on like that: people coming and going, valuable things left in a hurry." An affecting story told in brisk, sometimes witty language with dialog that positively snaps, crackles, and pops off the page.

Colvin, Jeffrey. Africaville. Amistad. Dec. 2019. 384p. ISBN 9780062913722. $25.99; ebk. ISBN 9780062913739. LITERArY/HISTORICAL Moving from the Great Depression to Sixties social protest to the economically unsettled 1980s, Colvin’s story of family, race, identity, and aching dreams unfolds in a small town in Nova Scotia settled by former slaves. "Not a single grandparent that she can remember was ever as mean as her parents," reflects put-out young Kath Ella as the narrative begins, and we see he life shaped by struggle and the continuing prejudice against those with dark skin, even as her son and grandson move beyond their home and family. An openly written, finely wrought family saga.

Goldin, Megan. The Escape Room. St. Martin’s. Aug. 2019. 352p. ISBN 9781250219657. $26.99; ebk. ISBN 978125021967. THRILLER Vincent, Jules, Sylvie, and Sam are hyper-competitive Wall Streeters who wouldn’t think of refusing a weekend summons to corporate headquarters, where they are thrown into one of those ubiquitous team-building exercises. This one features escape from a locked room, but it "[takes] the concept up a notch by putting the experience in an actual elevator," with participants eventually tearing one another apart in that small space as a dark secret wills out. A twisty, harrowing tale of comeuppance with a backstory highlighting the divide between the rich and the rest.

Innes, Kirstin. Fishnet. Gallery: Scout: S. & S. Oct. 2019. 352p. ISBN 9781982116156. $27. ebk. ISBN 9781982116170. THRILLER/PSYCHOLOGICAL On the outs with her own life, Fiona gathers steam as she begins investigating the sex industry and those sucked into it from all sides. She’s just learned that her sister had been working as a prostitute before her disappearance six years previously. "When does it slide over? When do the walls rebuild themselves around you? The first time you have sex for money?" Published in Scotland in 2015, this Not the Booker Prize winner is caustic, arresting, and vividly written in multiple interlocked narratives.

Lefteri, Christy. The Beekeeper of Aleppo. Ballantine. Aug. 2019. 304p. ISBN 9781984821218. $27; ebk. ISBN 9780593128169. LITERARY In fluid, forthright language, Lefteri brings us humbly closer to the refugee experience as beekeeper Nuri and his wife, an artist named Afra who has gone blind from the horrors she’s witnessed, escape Aleppo and travel dangerously to Great Britain. "If they see me again, and I don’t join them, they’ll kill me. They said I should find someone to take my body," says Nuri to persuade the stubborn Afra to leave. There’s no overloading the deck with drama; this story tells itself, absorbingly and heartrendingly.

Pufahl, Shannon. On Swift Horses. Riverhead. Nov. 2019. 320p. ISBN 9780525538110. $27; ebk. ISBN 9780525538134. LITERARY In post–World War II San Diego, restless newlywed Muriel misses rural Kansas and wry, sly brother-in-law Julius, now working in a Las Vegas casino. While Muriel quells her anxieties by sneaking off to the Del Mar racetrack—"When she begins, secretly, to bet on the horses and, shockingly, to win, she feels strangely unready to share"—Julius goes looking for secret love Henry, who’s been run out of town. Smoothly written and attentive to detail, with an insightful focus on LGBTQ+ life in mid-century mid-America.

Reid, Kiley. Such a Fun Age. Putnam. Jan. 2020. 320p. ISBN 9780525541905. $26; ebk. ISBN 9780525541929. LITERARY Following a late-evening emergency involving her family, high-profile white blogger Alix calls her African American babysitter, Emira, who leaves a birthday party to babysit toddler Briar, wheeling her off to a fancy neighborhood market. It doesn’t take long for another customer to suspect a kidnapping, security gets involved, and soon Emira is on the phone with Alix’s husband: "In the same controlled panic that started her night, she said, "...They think I stole Briar.’ " What follows is a contemporary drama of social mores and racial attitudes, told in sharp, sparkling prose.

Russell, Kate Elizabeth. My Dark Vanessa. Morrow. Jan. 2020. 384p. ISBN 9780062941503. $27.99; ebk. ISBN 9780062941527. LITERARY When Vanessa was 15, she entered into a relationship with her 42-year-old English teacher, Jacob Strane, who claimed to love her for her emotional intelligence and writing skills. Now, nearly two decades later, he’s been accused of sexual harassment by another former student, and Vanessa must decide whether she was a willing participant or a victim. "I hang my head, suck in my cheeks. What does this mean, what he did to me?" Rich, dramatic, and emotionally involving.

Watt, Holly. To the Lions. Dutton. Sept. 2019. 440p. ISBN 9781524745455. $27; ebk. ISBN 9781524745479. THRILLER Topnotch reporter Casey Benedict overhears a conversation in a London nightclub about the suspect suicide of a wealthy young man and follows the clues to a refugee camp in North Africa, a group of too-powerful men, and terrible acts that will shake readers to their bones. Meanwhile, Casey’s own actions raise ethical issues worthy of consideration. "Your trip out to Libya. Sounds pretty wild what you get up to out there," says one character, and it is. Fraught, swiftly written, and chilling.

Barbara Hoffert

Barbara Hoffert ([email protected], @BarbaraHoffert on Twitter) is Editor, LJ Book Review; past chair of the Materials Selection Committee of the RUSA (Reference and User Services Assn.) division of the American Library Association; and past president of the National Book Critics Circle, to which she has just been reelected.

#books #reading #reading list

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ralphmorgan-blog1 · 7 years

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London fire: Smiling faces of missing a stark contrast with anger and grief

London (CNN)The only smiles around the blackened husk of Grenfell Tower are on the faces of the missing.

Children, their parents, young people, old people, different ethnicities -- the posters reflect the diverse community that calls this part of west London home.

But as they smile from their photos, the other people gathering at the Latymer Christian Centre to see the makeshift memorials have tissues in their hands, their swollen eyes hidden behind large dark sunglasses.

Here, flowers and candles line the foot of the walls. Well-wishers from the close-knit community have written heartfelt messages to place with their offerings. And above are so many of those posters.

CNN was turned away by several families as we tried to approach them to ask about their missing relatives. Always politely declining, the raw emotion of the situation etched on their faces. One young man gently waving us back, saying, "I'm sorry, it's too soon. The time isn't right."

Since the early hours on Wednesday, rescuers have precariously scoured the remains of the burned-out tower knowing that they aren't likely to find survivors any more. Now they search for the dead.

On Friday afternoon, firefighters donning florescent orange bodysuits could be seen bravely clambering from the rooftop inside to the top floor in search of victims.

Knowing that people are missing and that others are risking their safety to try to recover them, puts the suffering of survivors into a grim perspective.

"We've been out of our flats, staying with friends since Tuesday -- no clothes, no money. But people are still missing and we fear for them," Nesrine Achiou, a mother of four who lives in the community tells CNN. "One of them is the teaching assistant of my son who goes to nursery, Nadia. He loves her so much."

She's talking of 33-year-old Nadia Choucair who works at the nearby Avondale Park Primary School. She had been at home with her mother Sirra, her husband Bassem and their three children on the 22nd floor when the fire broke out. The family haven't been heard from since.

Related: London fire victim was on phone to parents when she died

In the absence of word from authorities, Choucair's sister Sawsan has plastered the streets and shops nearby with posters of her six missing family members. The gutted building still stands in the background like a dark stain against a brilliantly sunny summer's day. An ever-present and brutal reminder her family are still missing.

"I feel really angry inside. I can't do anything. I'm just looking at that building, I'm like, God help these people," Sawsan tells CNN. "I'm just hoping they are in hospital, they've made it through the stairway, got out. Everyone not just my family ... every single person in there. I'm praying for them."

But others in this part of the Kensington community -- like Achiou, the mom of the young boy in Nadia Choucair's class -- are less certain.

She says: "I've lost any hope because we've seen the scene: how they ordered them to stay in their flats, how they stopped people from going in to help. How can anyone escape that fire? I don't believe it.

"I saw people knocking on windows. Stuck with no help. Nothing."

Dozens are already known to have died, and officials have said they expect that death toll to rise.

Achiou says the surrounding community all know one another and laments the local council as unresponsive to their needs.

"They don't respond when we need maintenance," she explains. "They don't want to spend any money. This area is one of the poorest areas of the borough. If it was Notting Hill or Holland Park, then maybe this would have been prevented, but not us."

The impact of the fire has been felt across the public housing estate that has the tower as its center.

It was just after 1 a.m. on Wednesday when Emma Spinola stood in her nightgown, her eyes transfixed on the 24-story high-rise as flames licked the outside of the building. Within 30 minutes, it had been completely engulfed in a hellish inferno.

Just moments before, she and her husband Liniker had scooped their two young children from their beds -- leaving all their worldly possessions and the pets behind -- and fled their home in one of the blocks below the tower to safety.

They'd been evacuated as a precaution. Fire trucks and police had arrived on scene and there were fears the fire could spread to surrounding buildings on the estate.

As the hours passed, the crowd watched helplessly as smoke billowed from the building and some of its residents stumbled out. Like so many others there, Spinola wanted to rush forward and help but emergency services held them back.

"I was born on the estate, I've always lived there. And that's the only place I see as being home. I've lost friends in that fire -- it's just unbelievable," Spinola says standing in a borrowed dress outside a donations shelter.

"And why tell them to stay inside? That door is not going to hold a fire forever. It may work for half an hour but longer? That's not possible. And that's why we're all upset because as as a community we wanted to help," she says, suddenly incensed.

Related: Harrowing tale of brothers separated in fire

Spinola looks tired but determined. She says she hasn't slept since the fire and has come to Notting Hill Community Church -- one of the community centers that flung its doors open to help the dispossessed -- to "beg" for nappies and baby food. Like others, she hasn't been allowed back home and doesn't know when that will happen.

An outpouring of public generosity has seen mountains of donations come from near and far. But the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea council, the management organization that oversees the estate and the UK government have fielded fierce criticism in recent days over its handling of the disaster.

"We haven't been able to get home since. We haven't seen anyone from the estate since this happened. The council didn't take any contact details, nothing. To be honest, I don't think they really care," Spinola wearily says as she half-heartedly swats some loose hair from her eyes.

It's a feeling held by many residents of the Grenfell estate in the wake of the disaster.

The neighborhood has now been pushed behind a police cordon, where charred debris and trash is visible in the deserted streets behind the tape.

Many stood in clusters in the Friday afternoon sun along Bramley Road, angrily questioning how authorities could have allowed this to happen.

Related: Is Grenfell Tower Britain's Katrina?

In the days since the fire, the central complaints from residents have been that social housing in London's richest borough has been inadequate for years and that the recent redevelopment around the Grenfell estate was to placate the rich who reside in the leafy streets nearby.

Grenfell Tower is just a couple streets away from row upon row of grand Victorian houses and candy-colored terraces in the gentrified and highly sought-after Notting Hill and Holland Park residential areas.

Several high-profile politicians including former Prime Minister David Cameron and Environment Secretary Michael Gove are believed to own houses in the vicinity.

And while it may be the same borough, for many, it might as well be different worlds.

"I've never been anywhere where the divide, the disparity between rich and poor is so pronounced," says Danny Vance, the 30-year-old associate pastor coordinating community donation efforts at the church. "You are literally a street's distance from million-pound mansions and social housing."

At several of the donation centers, CNN saw few signs of council involvement. Vance said that all the work at the church was thanks to volunteers from all across London and until today, he'd heard little from the council.

Residents and Londoners are so furious and dissatisfied by how the disaster has been handled that they descended on the local town hall on Friday afternoon chanting, "We want justice."

Holding fliers, placards and wearing T-shirts with images of missing people, protesters climbed the building's front steps and shoved their way in.

Across town, a second protest flared up in central London, bringing popular shopping destination Oxford Circus to a standstill as demonstrators staged a sit-in during the city's rush hour.

Back in Kensington, Vance continues to shepherd boxes to a council van as we talk.

"I think there has been this myth in society for probably the last 10 years that if you are poor, you are there because you are not working hard enough, you are there because you are trying to rip off the state... and now they are being called sponges and skivs and benefit dodgers when the people that we really know are dodging taxes are the rich. That's what we all feel like."

He continues: "Something has to change -- in this country, in this city. They cannot keep doing what they are doing to the poor."

And with the truck loaded, he turns to thank the volunteers for their efforts and despite looking exhausted, smiles as he reveals his thoughts are starting to turn to Sunday's sermon.

"Jesus doesn't care if you are rich, doesn't care if you are poor but he stands with those who are broken and that's what our church is about," Vance says as he cradles his son in his arms.

"It needs to be something that's encouraging and hopeful but there will be anger about what's happened because this cannot happen again."