It took me almost two weeks to finish reading Caste via audio, a rather dense book but an illuminating one at that. Wilkerson draws parallels between the caste systems of Nazi Germany and India to the caste system which is very much at play in the US, with Black people in the lowest ‘subordinate class’ and white people as the ‘dominant caste’.

.

It was most likely Wilkerson’s intention to focus more on the US since that’s her area of expertise, but it did feel like more space was given to the parallels between Germany and the US, and India was not addressed as often. I also felt like it cut have been cut down a little, with some parts feeling repetitive.

.

But the positives outweigh the negatives, as Wilkerson provides a comprehensive overview of the way caste operates in America to keep people in their  place, while simultaneously harming and disadvantaging everyone involved, from lower caste all the way up to the upper caste.

.

I liked how she compared the US to a rickety old house - you did not build it, but you live in it now and are responsible for it. Any flaws in the foundation you choose to ignore will only continue to fester if not confronted and resolved. I also appreciated the comparison between the vastly different ways America (and the UK for that matter, though Wilkerson does not address the UK) memorialise the darkest parts of their history, slavery and the Holocaust. Germany erects monuments to the victims, Germans constantly reminded of the atrocities of the past so they may never happen again. Meanwhile, the US erects statues of and names schools after Confederate leaders. There’s a lot to learn there about ways of facing up to and learning from the past (or not).

.

Really recommend the audiobook!