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irisdagmar's review
5.0
A lyrical, beautiful meditation on race and racism, teaching, and resilience - at once heartbreaking, honest, inspiring and devastating.
maryquitecontrary_22's review
4.0
I saw Reading with Patrick lying on a table in Barnes & Noble and the subtitle piqued my interest as an educator, so I bought it.
You don't have to be a "bleeding heart liberal" (as Kuo identifies herself) to appreciate this memoir. I think society is often naively dismissive of those in the criminal justice system, forgetting that they have families who love them and a backstory and history to how they ended up in their situation and its consequences. The author emphasizes the importance of literacy and the value of literature, while also humanizing those who live in the margins.
morganreadsandruns's review
5.0
Loved getting to read a nonfic book set near where I live in Arkansas. This was a touching story about a teacher's impact on a student's life.
deaton9's review
5.0
Very thoughtful read about the role of teacher and student in a very challenged place. It was fascinating to revisit the world of Helena, AR, a town that continues to struggle with the past.
shirleytupperfreeman's review
I really enjoyed this thoughtful memoir of a relationship between teacher and student. Kuo is the daughter of Taiwanese immigrants who drilled her in math problems at the dinner table. Kuo met Patrick when she began a Teach For America stint in rural Arkansas. Patrick was a poor, black 8th grader in one of the poorest school districts in the nation. He was ready to 'fall through the cracks' of our education system when Kuo began to mentor him. Patrick was beginning to thrive when Kuo left to attend law school, and then a few years later Kuo learned that Patrick was in jail for murder. Kuo writes compellingly about the hard decisions she faced - should she go to law school or keep teaching, begin her job in a non-profit or go back and try to help Patrick when he was in jail? All while recognizing that she had many choices and Patrick had few. I understand that tension between working for justice by trying to change a system and working for mercy by being in relationship with people for whom the system isn't working well. Michelle Kuo grew up in Kalamazoo so I was excited to read the ARC of a book with local connections. This will be published in July.
geisttull's review
4.0
A very good book - well researched and well written. If you liked Just Mercy by Bryan Stephenson, you'll also like this book.
frannipan's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
5.0
libeerian's review
4.0
Reviewed from an advance reader via Netgalley.
An interesting book that manages to do both personal and political sides quite well. Kuo takes the story of her teaching in Helena, Arkansas and uses it to tell a story of race and inequality in the States. I really enjoyed that Kuo avoided any overly sentimental moments and questions her motives throughout the book (though she doesn't question her motives for writing the book). The book doesn't pretend to paint a rosy picture at the end - life hasn't magically been fixed. It's an honest look at life for her and Patrick.
The ending could have probably used some editing as the book just seems to finish in a way that falls flat. It wraps up many years very quickly that feels out of step with the pace of the rest of the book. I also have some questions about the act of creating the book. Does Kuo have permission from all of her former students to use their works? Are any of the proceeds going to back to the community she is writing about? While she does write about the fact the she questioned her motives for teaching in the Delta, she doesn't raise any of the moral questions of writing about these people over a decade later.
Even with these possible issues, it's a strong book that leads to many discussions about race, teaching, books and more.
An interesting book that manages to do both personal and political sides quite well. Kuo takes the story of her teaching in Helena, Arkansas and uses it to tell a story of race and inequality in the States. I really enjoyed that Kuo avoided any overly sentimental moments and questions her motives throughout the book (though she doesn't question her motives for writing the book). The book doesn't pretend to paint a rosy picture at the end - life hasn't magically been fixed. It's an honest look at life for her and Patrick.
The ending could have probably used some editing as the book just seems to finish in a way that falls flat. It wraps up many years very quickly that feels out of step with the pace of the rest of the book. I also have some questions about the act of creating the book. Does Kuo have permission from all of her former students to use their works? Are any of the proceeds going to back to the community she is writing about? While she does write about the fact the she questioned her motives for teaching in the Delta, she doesn't raise any of the moral questions of writing about these people over a decade later.
Even with these possible issues, it's a strong book that leads to many discussions about race, teaching, books and more.
katie_esh's review against another edition
4.0
I won this in a Goodreads giveaway, and I feel so lucky that I did! Michelle Kuo shares her fascinating experience in rural Arkansas as part of Teach for America. As a fellow educator in rural America, her stories of her students and defining what exactly her role was in their lives hit home for me. Michelle did a wonderful job describing this feeling all aspiring teachers (and possibly seasoned veterans) share of wanting to make a difference while also recognizing your own insignificance. Michelle shows how lives are shaped by the relationships we form and holding them close to our hearts.