I received this book in a giveaway in exchange for an honest review. 

This book is startling in how prescient and necessary it feels. As a Canadian, I know very little about American history, despite having a degree in the subject. Then, not only was this book a means by which to examine issues of race and history in America, and to learn a great deal more than my BA taught me, it was also an opportunity to reflect on how the 49th parallel does little to dilute this issue. As part of my MA degree, I am completing research on a local heritage house. I am asking myself many of the same questions as this book poses: Whose history are we teaching? How can we teach factual history in a way that is both dedicated to harm reduction while still productive? Why is it necessary to maintain this teaching despite the public’s discomfort or push back? 

Initially, I was slightly put off by the tone of the book: a creative non-fiction narrative voice in what is, for most purposes, a piece of historical non-fiction. As I progressed, though, I found this narrative style to be a major component of what makes this book so special. History IS deeply personal. Making history texts objective and academic with no trace of the author behind the words contributes to the problem. I’m excited by the idea that academic investigations like these can be so filled with life while maintaining the intellectual rigour necessary to these difficult pursuits. 

I’ll be thinking about this book for a long time to come. I’ve already recommended it to as many people as I can, and this will only continue. What an accomplishment this is, and what a treasure to read