Review: Between the World and Me
Between the World and Me
Ta- Nehisi Coates
Synopsis: Written in the form of a letter from father to son, Between the World and Me weaves back and forth between American history the author’s own personal experiences to paint a very detailed picture of what life is like for Black people in America.
Let me start off by saying this. This year I had a mission to read more books about what life is like for people of color in America. Of all of the books I have read so far, this one has, by far, painted the clearest picture of what it is like to be a Black person in this country. He dives into all aspects of his growing up; the struggle between the streets and school, and what his parents expected of him, into his college experience at Howard University, and becoming a father, his general path towards finding out who he is as a Black man.
I am very glad that I read Between the World and Me. But I have to be honest and say that I struggled with it at times. I read this book as part of a book club, and I think that, had I read it on my own, I would not have gotten as much out of it as I did. It’s very dense, and covers a wide range of information. There were many times I didn’t feel like I fully understood what he was trying to say, and it was through conversation with the book club, that I felt I came to better understand it’s meaning.
For a short book, there is really a lot there. The book is only about 150 pages long, but I really feel like it is a book best read in small segments due to it’s heavy content. I don’t think this is a book I would have been able to binge read. That said, I think anyone wanting to better understand systemic racism in the US, as well as a general understanding of what it means to be a Black person in the US should definitely give this one a read. I would strongly encourage you to read it with someone, so you can talk about it and unpack it, if you will.
There was truly a lot in this book that shook me to my core. Coates discusses our country’s relationship to it’s history with slavery, and how we are still affected by it today. The way Coates layers history with current events, and his own experiences is fascinating. At times his style of writing is almost poetic. He writes with so much emotion, vulnerability, and strength that it truly feels as if he is baring his soul for the world to see.
As I said, this is not an easy read. It’s heavy subject matter, and there is a lot covered in such a short book, but I would strongly urge you to give it a shot. It has so much to offer and to teach us.