Review: Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates

Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I've been a fan of Ta-Nehisi Coates' writing for awhile based on a few things I'd read of his in the Atlantic. He always has a really interesting and thoughtful perspective. I was so happy to hear about this book which I think may well be one of the most important books for Americans to read this year. Given what is happening in our country today, this book should be required reading for all of us.

I love that the framework of the book is the author writing to his son about his experiences as a black man in America. About his hopes and dreams for his son. About his fears, his hopes and his understanding of history. Coates has captured in this book a very personal and extraordinarily honest portrait of racism and being black in America.

Although I'm always trying to learn as much as I can about our history and the impact of that history on all of us, this view into Coates' world gave me a new and eye-opening view of what it must be like every day to be black in America. I'll never truly understand but I want to try with all my heart. I hope this book triggers honest and real coversations among all Americans. I hope it allows us to see new aspects of this very complicated history and its impact on today.

I don't know how to make things better or help to find a new way forward but I do know that this book has opened my eyes to new things and made me consider things I had not considered before. I really hope that everyone takes a chance to read it. This is one book that I will buy for my home library and share with my children as they are old enough to read it and understand it.

I am thankful for voices like Ta-Nehisi Coates and I look forward to seeing what he has to tell us next. I highly recommend this book to any and all!

I also highly recommend that you check out Ta-Nehisi Coates at the Atlantic (here) and on twitter (here). He's an amazing writer with great things to say.