Black Birds in the Sky: The Story and Legacy of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre by Brandy Colbert

Reviewed by: Melissa Friedlund, Reference Specialist

Genre: American History (early 20^th Century)

Suggested Age: Teen, Adult

What is the book about? It has only been in recent years that knowledge of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre has become more well-known. For decades, even the people of Tulsa didn’t acknowledge or often speak about it. What started as an attempt to lynch a young man accused of sexual assault, turned into a race riot that left churches, homes, and businesses burned to the ground, as well as hundreds dead. This book not only details the timeline of events that took place in Tulsa, Oklahoma on June 1^st, 1921, it first lays the foundation with an explanation of culturally significant events and practices that contributed to the mob violence and destruction that devastated a thriving African American community.

My Review: I listened to the audiobook version of this book and found it to be incredibly enlightening. This is a cautionary tale about mob mentality and the darker side of human nature, especially when it comes to race relations. I found it extremely beneficial to have the background information laid out before the author went into the description of the exact events of this tragedy. Learning about events that may be disturbing or hard to accept give us a clearer picture of our predecessors and the society they lived in. This is critically important to understanding how our society today has developed into what we see around us and can help keep up from repeating past mistakes.

Three Words That Describe This Book: Illuminating, Educational, Revelatory

Give This a Try if You Like…Barracoon: The Story of the Last “Black Cargo” by Zora Neale Hurston, The 1619 Project: A New origin Story by Nikole Hannah-Jones, Four Hundred Souls edited by Ibram X. Kendi

Rating: 5/5

Find it at the library!

Everything’s Fine by Cecilia Rabess

Reviewed By: Jeremy Zentner, Adult Services Assistant

Genre: Contemporary

Suggested Age:  Adults

What is This Book About? Jess studied math in college and eventually joined Goldman Sachs as a data-analyst, determined to survive the oppressive, cut-throat working conditions of financial investment. She runs into Josh, a fellow alumnus and a headache of arrogance from what she recalls. The two have different backgrounds and completely different political outlooks. As they continue to work together in their fast-paced rat race, Jess and Josh slowly come together in a passionate love affair, proving that opposites sometimes attract. The question is, can they overcome their differences? Should they even try? This book is a love story, but it is also a coming-of-age story, a story about racism in America, and a story about divisiveness in politics.

My Review: Once I started reading this book, I devoured it up. It is extremely raw and real and it doesn’t hold back any punches. Originally marketed as a romance novel, this book is so much more. I find the prose reminiscent of Chuck Palahniuk or Aimee Bender. It is direct, unforgiving, and provocative. Cecilia Rabess truly captivated my attention, offering insight into life as an African-American woman working in a business traditionally dominated by Caucasian men. We also get an interesting perspective on interracial relationships and relationships that involve people with opposing political viewpoints. There are some generational points of interest as well, as the protagonist describes her relationship with her father. This book is a complex story, to say the least, but definitely one worth reading.

Three Words that Describe this Book: romance, race, politics

Give This A Try if You Like… Yellowface, Black Buck, The Girl in the Flammable Skirt

Rating: 5/5

Find it at the library!

The Last Tale of the Flower Bride By: Roshani Chokshi

Reviewed by: Susie Rivera Adult Services Specialist

Genre: Gothic, Magic Realism

Suggested Age:  Adults

What is the book about?   The narrator, otherwise only known as the Bridegroom, is a professor of mythology and lover of fairy tales.  One evening he meets a beautiful heiress named Indigo and becomes enamored with her.  The couple are married very quickly and Indigo makes the narrator promise not to ask her about her past.  But, when a family emergency happens, the newlyweds must travel back to Indigo’s family estate where all her dark secrets eventually come to the surface.

My Review:  This book is a classic noir or gothic tale.  There is a enigmatic main character, a ominous mansion, and mysterious secrets ready to surface. It takes place in modern times, although historical throwbacks  almost make it seem Victorian in some aspects.  We get flashbacks from the past that eventually shed light on the events leading up to the end of the novel.  The plot twist at the end is surprising but many will see it coming.  The clues are there the whole time.   Despite being labeled as a fantasy, I would place this in the realm of Magic Realism.  The house is personified so much that the reader isn’t sure if it’s really a conscious entity with its own desires. The main characters, Indigo and Azure believe they can slip into a Fae realm and participate in rituals that will grant them “magic.” Overall, the writing is beautiful and the story kept me wondering just how dark Indigo’s past really was.

Three Words That Describe This Book:  Mysterious, Gothic, Lyrical

Give This a Try if You Like…The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue by V.E Schwab, Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross, Mexican Gothic Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Rating: 4/5

Find it at the library!

Anne of West Philly by Ivy Weir and Myisha Haynes (Illustrator)

Reviewed by: Deb Alig, Circulation Assistant

Genre: Middle Grade Graphic Novel

Suggested Age: Middle school (11-14)

What is the book about?  Anne of West Philly, by Ivy Weir, is a graphic novel retelling of L. M. Montgomery’s classic children’s novel Anne of Green Gables. If you’re familiar with Montgomery’s plot, you will find similarities in Weir’s adaptation. The characters’ names in the retelling are like the names in the original story, but the characters’ ethnicities are different. The characters in Anne of West Philly are mostly Black and Hispanic instead of White like in Anne of Green Gables. The setting is different too. Montgomery’s story takes place on Prince Edward Island in Canada during the late nineteenth century, and Weir’s retelling takes place in the city of West Philadelphia in Pennsylvania during modern time. Just like Montgomery’s Anne, Weir’s Anne is curious, energetic, competitive, imaginative, sensitive, and smart. But she also has a tendency to get into trouble which makes Marilla, her foster mom, question whether she and her brother Matthew should keep her. In both stories, Anne is good friends with Diana Barry, and she dislikes a popular boy named Gilbert Blythe who competes with her academically. In Montgomery’s telling, Anne eventually develops a crush on Gilbert, but in Weir’s adaptation, Anne develops a crush on a female character. In West Philly, Weir’s Anne attends a school with a STEM program and a robotics club which is very different than the one room school house on Prince Edward Island that Montgomery’s Anne attends. In both stories, the Cuthberts grow quite fond of Anne and choose to keep her as their own.

My Review: I am a fan of the original Anne of Green Gables, so naturally I enjoyed Weir and Hayne’s graphic retelling. The illustrations are detailed, colorful, and bright, and they clearly capture the action that is taking place. The retelling is cleverly based on the original story with the main differences being the setting and the race of the characters. Children who are Black or Hispanic and who live in a modern day city may identify more with the characters in Anne of West Philly than with the characters in Anne of Green Gables. But regardless, the authors of both books, through their stories, encourage young readers to have good values, respectful behavior, kind attitudes, accepting mindsets, and loving hearts.

Three Words That Describe This Book: Surprising, Clever, and Entertaining

Give This a Try if You Like…The Secret Garden on 81t Street, also a graphic novel by Ivy Weir or Anne of Green Gables: A Graphic Novel by Mariah Marsden. The original Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery has been made into musicals, plays, animation, films, and live action TV programs.

Rating: 4.5/5

Find it at the library!