#FDL - Fondulac District Library

Weaving together American history, dramatic family chronicle, and searing episodes of memoir, Annette Gordon-Reed provides a historian’s view of the country’s long road to Juneteenth, recounting both its origins in Texas and the enormous hardships that African-Americans have endured in the century since, from Reconstruction through Jim Crow and beyond. All too aware of the stories of cowboys, ranchers, and oilmen that have long dominated the lore of the Lone Star State, Gordon-Reed—herself a Texas native and the descendant of enslaved people brought to Texas as early as the 1820s—forges a new and profoundly truthful narrative of her home state, with implications for us all.

We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy by Ta-Nehisi Coates

“We were eight years in power” was the lament of Reconstruction-era black politicians as the American experiment in multiracial democracy ended with the return of white supremacist rule in the South. Ta-Nehisi Coates explores the tragic echoes of that history in our own time: the unprecedented election of a black president followed by a vicious backlash that fueled the election of the man Coates argues is America’s “first white president.” But the story of these present-day eight years is not just about presidential politics. This book also examines the new voices, ideas, and movements for justice that emerged over this period–and the effects of the persistent, haunting shadow of our nation’s old and unreconciled history.

Stony the road : Reconstruction, White Supremacy, and the Rise of Jim Crow by Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

Details the struggle by African-Americans for equality after the Civil War and the violent counter-revolution that re-subjugated them, as seen through the prism of the war of images and ideas that have left an enduring racist stain on the American mind. The abolition of slavery in the aftermath of the Civil War is a familiar story, as is the civil rights revolution that transformed the nation after World War II. But the century in between remains a mystery: if emancipation sparked a new birth of freedom in Lincoln’s America, why was it necessary to march in Martin Luther King, Jr.’s America? In this new book, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., seeks to answer that question in a history that moves from the Reconstruction Era to the nadir of the African-American experience under Jim Crow, through to World War I and the Harlem Renaissance.

Four Hundred Souls : A Community History of African America, 1619-2019 by Ibram X. Kendi

A “choral history” of African Americans covering 400 years of history in the voices of 80 writers, edited by the bestselling, National Book Award-winning historian Ibram X. Kendi and Keisha N. Blain. Last year marked the four hundredth anniversary of the first African presence in the Americas–and also launched the Four Hundred Souls project, spearheaded by Ibram X. Kendi, director of the Antiracism Institute of American University, and Keisha Blain, editor of The North Star. They’ve gathered together eighty black writers from all disciplines — historians and artists, journalists and novelists–each of whom has contributed an entry about one five-year period to create a single-volume history of black people in America.”

The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson

In this epic, beautifully written masterwork, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Isabel Wilkerson chronicles one of the great untold stories of American history: the decades-long migration of black citizens who fled the South for northern and western cities, in search of a better life. From 1915 to 1970, this exodus of almost six million people changed the face of America.

-Annotations from the publishers

#FDL is an update on all things Fondulac District Library and books.

Susie Rivera2024-06-19T14:51:36-05:00June 19th, 2024|

#FDL: Fantasy – June Giveaway

From the barest hint of magic realism to an amazingly detailed epic fantasy with extraordinary world-building, the fantasy genre has a wide spectrum of magic and mysticism. Here are some new and upcoming titles that demonstrate this variety.

The Silverblood Promise by James Logan

Published: 04/25/24

Lukan Gardova is a cardsharp, academy dropout, and―thanks to a duel that ended badly―the disgraced heir to an ancient noble house. His days consist of cheap wine, rigged card games, and wondering how he might win back the life he threw away. When Lukan discovers that his estranged father has been murdered in strange circumstances, he finds fresh purpose. Deprived of his chance to make amends for his mistakes, he vows to unravel the mystery behind his father’s death.

His search for answers leads him to Saphrona, fabled city of merchant princes, where anything can be bought if one has the coin. Lukan only seeks the truth, but instead he finds danger and secrets in every shadow. For in Saphrona, everything has a price―and the price of truth is the deadliest of all.

Navola by Paolo Bacigalupi

Expected Publication: 07/09/24

In Navola, a bustling city-state dominated by a handful of influential families, business is power, and power is everything. For generations, the di Regulai family—merchant bankers with a vast empire—has nurtured tendrils that stretch to the farthest reaches of the known world. And though they claim not to be political, their staggering wealth has bought cities and toppled kingdoms. Soon, Davico di Regulai will be expected to take the reins of power from his father and demonstrate his mastery of the games of Navolese knowing who to trust and who to doubt, and how to read what lies hidden behind a smile. But in Navola, strange and ancient undercurrents lurk behind the gilt and grandeur—like the fossilized dragon eye in the family’s possession, a potent symbol of their raw power and a talisman that seems to be summoning Davico to act.

As tensions rise and the events unfold, Davico will be tested to his limits. His fate depends on the eldritch dragon relic and on what lies buried in the heart of his adopted sister, Celia di Balcosi, whose own family was destroyed by Nalova’s twisted politics. With echoes of Renaissance Italy, The Godfather , and Game of Thrones , Navola is a stunning feat of world-building and a mesmerizing depiction of drive and will.

The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer

Expected publication: 07/16/24

As boys, best friends Jeremy Cox and Rafe Howell went missing in a vast West Virginia state forest, only to mysteriously reappear six months later with no explanation for where they’d gone or how they’d survived.

Fifteen years after their miraculous homecoming, Rafe is a reclusive artist who still bears scars inside and out but has no memory of what happened during those months. Meanwhile, Jeremy has become a famed missing persons’ investigator. With his uncanny abilities, he is the one person who can help vet tech Emilie Wendell find her sister, who vanished in the very same forest as Rafe and Jeremy.

Jeremy alone knows the fantastical truth about the disappearances, for while the rest of the world was searching for them, the two missing boys were in a magical realm filled with impossible beauty and terrible danger. He believes it is there that they will find Emilie’s sister. However, Jeremy has kept Rafe in the dark since their return for his own inscrutable reasons. But the time for burying secrets comes to an end as the quest for Emilie’s sister begins. The former lost boys must confront their shared past, no matter how traumatic the memories.

Alongside the headstrong Emilie, Rafe and Jeremy must return to the enchanted world they called home for six months—for only then can they get back everything and everyone they’ve lost.

The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst

Expected publication: 07/09/24

Kiela has always had trouble dealing with people. Thankfully, as a librarian at the Great Library of Alyssium, she and her assistant, Caz—a magically sentient spider plant—have spent the last decade sequestered among the empire’s most precious spellbooks, preserving their magic for the city’s elite.

When a revolution begins and the library goes up in flames, she and Caz flee with all the spellbooks they can carry and head to a remote island Kiela never thought she’d see again: her childhood home. Taking refuge there, Kiela discovers, much to her dismay, a nosy—and very handsome—neighbor who can’t take a hint and keeps showing up day after day to make sure she’s fed and to help fix up her new home.

In need of income, Kiela identifies something that even the bakery in town doesn’t have: jam. With the help of an old recipe book her parents left her and a bit of illegal magic, her cottage garden is soon covered in ripe berries. But magic can do more than make life a little sweeter, so Kiela risks the consequences of using unsanctioned spells and opens the island’s first-ever and much needed secret spellshop.

-Annotations from the publishers

–Post by Melissa Friedlund, Adult Services Specialist

Giveaway

Enter your name here for a chance to win ARCs of the books mentioned in this post. One entry per person. Drawing to be held approximately 7 days after this post.

ARCs are “advanced reading copies.” These are free copies of a new books given by a publisher to librarians and other reviewers before the book is printed for mass distribution.

#FDL is a weekly update on all things Fondulac District Library and East Peoria.

Susie Rivera2024-06-06T18:59:19-05:00June 6th, 2024|

Books for Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

May is Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month. During this month we celebrate the contributions that Asian and Pacific Islanders have made to our history and culture.

Check out one of these books or place a hold today!

This is Paradise: stories by Kristiana Kahakauwila

The House of Doors Tan Twan Eng

Land of Milk and Honey by C Pam Zhang

The Perfumist of Paris – by Alka Joshi

The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese

They Called Us Enemy by George Takei

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

Intimacies by Katie M. Kitamura

The Incendiaries by R. O. Kwon

Paper Names by Susie Luo

A Place For Us: A novel by Fatima Farheen Mirza

Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng

The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen

The Daughters of Madurai Rajasree Variyar

Music of the Ghosts by Vaddey Ratner

The Bad Muslim Discount: a novel by Syed Masood

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

The Farm : A novel by Joanne Ramos

Lady Tan’s Circle of Women by Lisa See

The Bonesetter’s Daughter by Amy Tan

That Kind of Mother by Rumaan Alam

The Swimmers by Julie Otsuka

Blackmail and Bibingka by Mia P. Manansala

Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors by Sonali Dev

Run Me To Earth by Paul Yoon

Monstress by Marjorie Liu

Bangkok Wakes to Rain by Pitchaya Sudbanthad

The God of Small Things by Roy Arundhati

The Leavers by Lisa Ko

–Post by Susie Rivera, Reference Specialist

#FDL is an update on all things Fondulac District Library and books.

Susie Rivera2024-05-23T12:02:56-05:00May 23rd, 2024|

#FDL: Artfolds Book Giveaway for Mother’s Day

Do you enjoy book art? Book folding is a great way to upcycle and transform an old book into a lovely piece of décor.

Enter the giveaway below to win a copy of The Magic of Mom, an ArtFolds book. An ArtFolds book is a hardcover book that is transformed into a unique paper sculpture merely by folding pages. Follow the folding instructions, and transform the book into a lovely paper sculpture of the word “Mom.”

Giveaway

Enter your name here for a chance to win the book in this post. One entry per person. Drawing to be held approximately 7 days after this post.

#FDL is a weekly update on all things Fondulac District Library and East Peoria.

Susie Rivera2024-05-03T15:28:57-05:00May 3rd, 2024|

#FDL: Science Fiction & Fantasy – April Giveaway

Not constrained by current scientific knowledge or imagination, science fiction and fantasy can offer an otherworldly escape from the day-to-day grind. Here are three new & upcoming titles in this genre.

The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley

Expected publication: 05/07/24

An exquisitely original and feverishly fun fusion of genres and ideas, The Ministry of Time asks the universal What happens if you put a disaffected millennial and a Victorian polar explorer in a house together?

In the near future, a civil servant is offered the salary of her dreams and is, shortly afterward, told what project she’ll be working on. A recently established government ministry is gathering “expats” from across history to establish whether time travel is feasible—for the body, but also for the fabric of space-time.

She is tasked with working as a “bridge”: living with, assisting, and monitoring the expat known as “1847” or Commander Graham Gore. As far as history is concerned, Commander Gore died on Sir John Franklin’s doomed 1845 expedition to the Arctic, so he’s a little disoriented to be living with an unmarried woman who regularly shows her calves, surrounded by outlandish concepts such as “washing machine,” “Spotify,” and “the collapse of the British Empire.” But he adjusts quickly; he is, after all, an explorer by trade. Soon, what the bridge initially thought would be, at best, a seriously uncomfortable housemate dynamic, evolves into something much more. Over the course of an unprecedented year, Gore and the bridge fall haphazardly, fervently in love, with consequences they never could have imagined.

Supported by a chaotic and charming cast of characters—including a 17th-century cinephile who can’t get enough of Tinder, a painfully shy World War I captain, and a former spy with an ever-changing series of cosmetic surgery alterations and a belligerent attitude to HR—the bridge will be forced to confront the past that shaped her choices, and the choices that will shape the future.

Welcome to Forever by Nathan Tavares

Expected Publication: 03/12/24

A sweeping, psychedelic romance of two men caught in a looping world of artificial realities, edited memories, secretive cabals and conspiracies to push humanity to the next step in its evolution. For fans of Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, Ubik, The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Evangelion.

Fox is a memory editor – one of the best – gifted with the skill to create real life in the digital world. When he wakes up in Field of Reeds Center for Memory Reconstruction with no idea how he got there, the therapists tell him he was a victim in a terrorist bombing by Khadija Banks, the pioneer of memory editing technology turned revolutionary. A bombing which shredded the memory archives of all its victims, including his husband Gabe.

Thrust into reconstructions of his memories exploded from the fragments that survived the blast, Fox tries to rebuild his life, his marriage and himself. But he quickly realizes his world is changing, unreliable, and echoing around itself over and over. As he unearths endless cycles of meeting Gabe, falling in love and breaking up, Fox digs deep into his past, his time in the refugee nation of Aaru, and the exact nature of his relationship with Khadija. Because, in a world tearing itself apart to forget all its sadness, saving the man he loves might be the key to saving us all.

Evocation by S.T. Gibson

Expected publication: 05/28/24

The Devil knows your name, David Aristarkhov.

As a teen, David Aristarkhov was a psychic prodigy, operating under the shadow of his oppressive occultist father. Now, years after his father’s death and rapidly approaching his thirtieth birthday, he is content with the high-powered life he’s curated as a Boston attorney, moonlighting as a powerful medium for his secret society.

But with power comes a price, and the Devil has come to collect on an ancestral deal. David’s days are numbered, and death looms at his door.

Reluctantly, he reaches out to the only person he’s ever trusted, his ex-boyfriend and secret Society rival Rhys, for help. However, the only way to get to Rhys is through his wife, Moira. Thrust into each other’s care, emotions once buried deep resurface, and the trio race to figure out their feelings for one another before the Devil steals David away for good…

Annotations from the publishers

-Post by Melissa Friedlund, Reference Specialist

Giveaway

Enter your name here for a chance to win ARCs of the books mentioned in this post. One entry per person. Drawing to be held approximately 7 days after this post.

ARCs are “advanced reading copies.” These are free copies of a new books given by a publisher to librarians and other reviewers before the book is printed for mass distribution.

#FDL is a weekly update on all things Fondulac District Library and East Peoria.

Susie Rivera2024-04-24T18:25:48-05:00April 24th, 2024|

#FDL: Poetry Collections for Poetry Month

April is Poetry Month. Check out one of these newer collections of poetry at our library!

A Year of Last Things By Michael Ondaatje

Following several of his internationally acclaimed novels, A Year of Last Things is Michael Ondaatje’s long-awaited return to poetry. In pieces that are sometimes witty, sometimes moving, and always wise, we journey back through time by way of alchemical leaps, unearthing writings by revered masters, moments of shared tenderness, and the abandoned landscapes we hold on to to rediscover the influence of every border crossed.

Why Fathers Cry at Night: A Memoir in Love Poems, Letters, Recipes, and Remembrances By Kwame Alexander

In an intimate and non-traditional (or “new-fashioned”) memoir, Kwame Alexander shares snapshots of a man learning how to love. He takes us through stories of his parents: from being awkward newlyweds in the sticky Chicago summer of 1967, to the sometimes-confusing ways they showed their love to each other, and for him. He explores his own relationships—his difficulties as a newly wedded, 22-year-old father, and the precariousness of his early marriage working in a jazz club with his second wife. Alexander attempts to deal with the unravelling of his marriage and the grief of his mother’s recent passing while sharing the solace he found in learning how to perfect her famous fried chicken dish. Alexander weaves together memories of his past to try and understand his greatest love: his daughters.

Sing a Black Girl’s Song: The Unpublished Work of Ntozake Shange By Ntozake Shange

Sing a Black Girl’s Song is a new posthumous collection of Shange’s unpublished poems, essays, and plays from throughout the life of the seminal Black feminist writer. In these pages we meet young Shange, learn the moments that inspired for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf…, travel with an eclectic family of musicians, sit on “The Couch” opposite Shange’s therapist, and discover plays written after for colored girls’ international success. Sing a Black Girl’s Song houses, in their original form, the literary rebel’s politically charged verses from the Black Arts Movement era alongside her signature tender rhythm and cadence that capture the minutia and nuance of Black life.

Latitude Natasha Rao

Chosen as the winner of the 2021 APR/Honickman First Book Prize by Guggenheim Fellow Ada Limón, Natasha Rao’s debut collection Latitude abounds with sensory delights, rich in colors, flavors, and sounds. These poems explore the complexities of family, cultural identity, and coming of age. By turns vulnerable and bold, Latitude indulges in desire: “In my next life let me be a tomato/lusting and unafraid,” Rao writes, “…knowing I’ll end up in an eager mouth.”

*Annotations from the publishers

Posted by Susie Rivera, Reference Specialist

#FDL is an update on all things Fondulac District Library and books.

Susie Rivera2024-04-17T10:03:52-05:00April 17th, 2024|

#FDL: Mystery Thrillers – March Giveaway!

Mystery Thrillers – March Giveaway

If you crave fast-paced action laced with riddles and danger, these upcoming titles are for you.

The Memory Bank by Brian Shea & Raquel ByrnesMarcie R. Rendon

Expected publication: 03/19/24

When a series of high-profile deaths is linked to a lethal conspiracy, Detective Morgan Reed must risk everything to uncover the truth. Technology pioneer Dr. Gerard Price is at the height of his scientific career. After years of research in the field of memory augmentation, he’s just made a world-changing breakthrough. But his life’s work is mysteriously cut short by a fatal overdose in a seedy motel. All evidence points to a suicide, and the case is closed…until Detective Morgan Reed begins working a series of similarly strange deaths.

As Reed joins forces with Detective Natalie De La Cruz to expose the lies and corporate treachery at the heart of the suicides, they discover a shocking plot that will put thousands of lives at risk. In a world where cutting-edge technology meets dirty money, Reed and De La Cruz must navigate the labyrinths of an impenetrable network to save countless innocents from certain death…as their own lives hang in the balance. Former detective and Wall Street Journal Bestselling author Brian Shea teams up with Raquel Byrnes for this explosive techno-thriller that will keep you up all night—perfect for fans of Michael Crichton and David Baldacci.

The North Line by Matt Riordan

Expected Publication: 04/02/24

In Matt Riordan’s debut novel, a college student in need of quick money finds work on an Alaskan fishing boat in the unforgiving Bering Sea. Even at the ragged edge of civilization, some lines should not be crossed. Riordan pairs personal experiences with a master storyteller’s eye in a piercing examination of the quest for identity in the face of tempests within and without.

Everyone believes Adam to be something he’s not. Sometimes that’s because he’s told them a story. Sometimes he’s told himself one. But when Adam joins an Alaskan fishing crew that’s promising quick money, the dangerous work and harsh lifestyle strip away all fabrications and force a dark-hearted exploration of who he really is.

On the unforgiving Bering Sea, Adam finds the adventure and authenticity of a fisherman’s life revelatory. The labor required to seize bounty from the ocean invigorates him, and the often crude comradery accompanies a welcome, hard-earned wisdom. But when a strike threatens the entire season and violence stalks the waves, Adam is thrust into a struggle for survival at the edge of the world, where evolutionary and social forces collide for outcomes beyond anyone’s control.

The General’s Gold by LynDee Walker & Bruce Robert Coffin

Expected publication: 04/16/24

A treasure so priceless, it’s worth killing for… When Mark Hawkins is found dead in a seedy motel, police deem it an accidental overdose. But billionaire computer genius Avery Turner suspects there might be more to the story. Her old friend was on the trail of the legendary General’s Gold, and now Avery is determined to pick up where he left off… Teaming up with Carter Mosley, a deep-sea shipwreck diver and adrenaline junkie turned social media sensation, Avery embarks on a dangerous quest for the treasure—and the truth.

From Florida to Maine, and from the mountains of Virginia to the depths of the Atlantic Ocean, they face treacherous gangs, man-eating sharks, and a world of deception and double-crosses. As they navigate hidden clues and uncertain allies, Avery and Carter must outwit their deadly adversaries and unravel the mystery surrounding the General’s Gold. But in this high-stakes game, losing the treasure could cost them their lives. Unearth the year’s most exhilarating treasure-hunting thriller. Join bestselling authors LynDee Walker and Bruce Robert Coffin in a pulse-pounding action-adventure that will keep you on the edge of your seat. If you love the action of Clive Cussler’s Dirk Pitt series and the intrigue of Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code, dive into The General’s Gold today!

The Deepest Lake by Andromeda Romano-Lax

Expected publication: 05/07/24

In this atmospheric thriller set at a luxury memoir-writing workshop on the shores of Lake Atitlán, Guatemala, a grieving mother goes undercover to investigate her daughter’s mysterious death.

Rose, the mother of 20-something aspiring writer Jules, has waited three months for answers about her daughter’s death. Why was she swimming alone when she feared the water? Why did she stop texting days before she was last seen? When the official investigation rules the death an accidental drowning, the body possibly lost forever in Central America’s deepest lake, an unsatisfied Rose travels to the memoir workshop herself. She hopes to draw her own conclusion—and find closure.

When Rose arrives, she is swept into the curious world created by her daughter’s literary hero, the famous writing teacher Eva Marshall, a charismatic woman known for her candid—and controversial—memoirs. As Rose uncovers details about the days leading up to Jules’s disappearance, she begins to suspect that this glamorous retreat package is hiding ugly truths. Is Lake Atitlan a place where traumatized women come to heal or a place where deeper injury is inflicted?

Perfect for fans of Delia Owens, Celeste Ng, and Julia Bartz, The Deepest Lake is both a sharp look at the sometimes toxic, exclusionary world of high-class writing workshops and an achingly poignant view of a mother’s grief.

-Annotations from the publishers

–Post by Melissa Friedlund, Reference Specialist

Giveaway

Enter your name here for a chance to win ARCs of the books mentioned in this post. One entry per person. Drawing to be held approximately 7 days after this post.

ARCs are “advanced reading copies.” These are free copies of a new books given by a publisher to librarians and other reviewers before the book is printed for mass distribution.

#FDL is a weekly update on all things Fondulac District Library and East Peoria.

Susie Rivera2024-03-28T19:29:48-05:00March 28th, 2024|

#FDL: Nonfiction for Women’s History Month

Check out one of these fascinating nonfiction books about remarkable women for Women’s History Month! Try one these or find more available through our collection.

How to Say Babylon: A Memoir by Safiya Sinclair

Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Pérez

She Said: Breaking the Sexual Harassment Story That Helped Ignite a Movement by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey

Normal Women: Nine Hundred Years of Making History by Philippa Gregory

The Girls of Atomic City: The Untold Story of the Women Who Helped Win World War II Denise Kiernan

I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

Year of the Tiger: An Activist’s Life by Alice Wong

The Light of Days: The Untold Story of Women Resistance Fighters in Hitler’s Ghettos by Judy Batalion

A Black Women’s History of the United States by Daina Ramey Berry

Women in White Coats: How the First Women Doctors Changed the World of Medicine by Olivia Campbell

An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

Romantic Outlaws: The Extraordinary Lives of Mary Wollstonecraft and Her Daughter Mary Shelley by Charlotte Gordon

Vanguard: How Black Women Broke Barriers, Won the Vote, and Insisted on Equality for All by Martha S. Jones

The Genius of Women: From Overlooked to Changing the World by Janice Kaplan

Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women That a Movement Forgot by Mikki Kendall

The Woman They Could Not Silence: One Woman, Her Incredible Fight for Freedom, and the Men Who Tried to Make Her Disappear by Kate Moore

Fly Girls: How Five Daring Women Defied All Odds and Made Aviation History by Keith O’Brien

The Witches: Salem, 1692 by Stacy Schiff

Beautiful Country by Qian Julie Wang

– Post by Susie Rivera, Reference Specialist

#FDL is an update on all things Fondulac District Library and books.

Susie Rivera2024-03-12T12:00:44-05:00March 12th, 2024|

#FDL: Nonfiction Highlights for Black History Month

From the Civil War, to the 1960s Civils Rights Movement, to Black Lives Matter—these books from our nonfiction collection are essential reads for Black History Month.

Gateway to Freedom: The Hidden History of the Underground Railroad by Eric Foner

–Pulitzer Prize–winning historian, fugitive slaves, antislavery activists, New York

Building on fresh evidence—including a detailed record of slave escapes secretly kept by Sydney Howard Gay, one of the key organizers in New York—Foner elevates the underground railroad from folklore to sweeping history. The story is inspiring—full of memorable characters making their first appearance on the historical stage—and significant—the controversy over fugitive slaves inflamed the sectional crisis of the 1850s. It eventually took a civil war to destroy American slavery, but here at last is the story of the courageous effort to fight slavery by “practical abolition,” person by person, family by family.

Vanguard: How Black Women Broke Barriers, Won the Vote, and Insisted for Equality for All by Martha S. Jones

– Feminist, Activism, Social Justice in the 1960s

In Vanguard, acclaimed historian Martha S. Jones offers a new history of African American women’s political lives in America. She recounts how they defied both racism and sexism to fight for the ballot, and how they wielded political power to secure the equality and dignity of all persons. From the earliest days of the republic to the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act and beyond, Jones excavates the lives and work of black women—Maria Stewart, Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, Fannie Lou Hamer, and more—who were the vanguard of women’s rights, calling on America to realize its best ideals.

Say Their Names: How Black Lives Came to Matter in America by Curtis Bunn, Michael H. Cottman, Patrice Gaines, Nick Charles and Keith Harriston

-George Floyd Murder, Racial disparity, Ferguson, societal change

For many, the story of the weeks of protests in the summer of 2020 began with the horrific nine minutes and twenty-nine seconds when Police Officer Derek Chauvin killed George Floyd on camera, and it ended with the sweeping federal, state, and intrapersonal changes that followed. It is a simple story, wherein white America finally witnessed enough brutality to move their collective consciousness. The only problem is that it isn’t true. George Floyd was not the first Black man to be killed by police—he wasn’t even the first to inspire nation-wide protests—yet his death came at a time when America was already at a tipping point.

In Say Their Names, five seasoned journalists probe this critical shift. With a piercing examination of how inequality has been propagated throughout history, from Black imprisonment and the Convict Leasing program to long-standing predatory medical practices to over-policing, the authors highlight the disparities that have long characterized the dangers of being Black in America. They examine the many moderate attempts to counteract these inequalities, from the modern Civil Rights movement to Ferguson, and how the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and others pushed compliance with an unjust system to its breaking point. Finally, they outline the momentous changes that have resulted from this movement, while at the same time proposing necessary next steps to move forward.

Black Ghost of Empire: The Long Death of Slavery and the Failure of Emancipation by Kris Manjapra

-Emancipation, Slavery around the world, social justice, racial caste system

Ranging across the Americas, Europe and Africa, Manjapra unearths disturbing truths about the Age of Emancipations, 1780-1880. In Britain, reparations were given to wealthy slaveowners, not the enslaved, a vast debt that was only paid off in 2015, and the crucial role of Black abolitionists and rebellions in bringing an end to slavery has been overlooked. In Jamaica, Black people were liberated only to enter into an apprenticeship period harsher than slavery itself. In the American South, the formerly enslaved were ‘freed’ into a system of white supremacy and racial terror. Across Africa, emancipation served as an alibi for colonization. None of these emancipations involved atonement by the enslavers and their governments for wrongs committed, or reparative justice for the formerly enslaved-an omission that grassroots Black organizers and activists are rightly seeking to address today.

– Annotations from the publishers

#FDL is a weekly update on all things Fondulac District Library and books.

Susie Rivera2024-02-24T10:09:51-06:00February 24th, 2024|