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reikista's review against another edition
4.0
This was a quick read. It is the story of the authors childhood, and of her coming of age. She tells us of her familial relationships, their struggles with poverty and hunger, their relationship with the educational system, and the places where the legal criminal system intersected with their life.
In the prologue, the author explains that she is now a professional and an expert in the field of fighting poverty, and she states that this book is written as a response to the implied or explicit accusations people in that field and otherwise make about people living in poverty not taking personal responsibility for their circumstances. The memoir provides real insight into how ludicrous these accusations are, and illustrates poignantly how difficult and often random it is to "get out."
Although I understand that, to fulfill her intention she made the choice to keep the focus closer to her experiences as someone who experienced poverty and the ways that the systems served her ill or put her at a disadvantage, I hoped to see more about her dual perspective, also as a member of the "expert" community.
In the prologue, the author explains that she is now a professional and an expert in the field of fighting poverty, and she states that this book is written as a response to the implied or explicit accusations people in that field and otherwise make about people living in poverty not taking personal responsibility for their circumstances. The memoir provides real insight into how ludicrous these accusations are, and illustrates poignantly how difficult and often random it is to "get out."
Although I understand that, to fulfill her intention she made the choice to keep the focus closer to her experiences as someone who experienced poverty and the ways that the systems served her ill or put her at a disadvantage, I hoped to see more about her dual perspective, also as a member of the "expert" community.
readingwithhippos's review against another edition
3.0
So, it turns out I was playing unwitting host to some pretty crappy biases, and my recent reading has exposed some of them. Earlier this week I wrote about my unconscious bias against fat people, which I reckoned with when I read [b:Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman|29340182|Shrill Notes from a Loud Woman|Lindy West|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1460015959s/29340182.jpg|46238704] by Lindy West. Today, I'm discussing another audio book I listened to recently, which revealed another bias lurking under the surface of my consciousness.
Nicole Mason grew up all over southern California, the daughter of a teenage single mother. Her childhood was fraught with challenges, but she managed to get out of her rough neighborhood, was accepted into college with a full merit scholarship, and wrote her memoir as a PhD holder and scholar. One of the reasons she wrote Born Bright was to challenge commonly held beliefs about low-income individuals. We’re told the American dream means that anyone can be anything, but the path to success is not the same for everyone despite those sunny proclamations.
At the end of the book, as Mason discussed the need for better social programs and a stronger safety net to keep people from falling into poverty in the first place, I realized I have long bought into the “bootstrap” mentality that so many Americans espouse. The idea that if you work hard, you can make a comfortable living and support a family. The problem with that view, which Mason helped me to see, is that for low-income people there are barriers that middle- and upper-class individuals don't have to concern themselves with. Paying for college, for example, looks a whole lot different if you've been raised in a minimum wage, paycheck-to-paycheck household. Someone like me, with a college fund provided by parents, has a much easier time focusing on grades than someone like Mason, whose mother was on public assistance and had no savings to help her daughter pay for school.
The privileges of my upper-middle-class childhood seem obvious to me now, but it's easy to have blind spots when it comes to our own experiences. Mason's book would be a great one to read if you, like me, have struggled to empathize with or understand the lives of low-income people.
It's been an uncomfortable few weeks of reading for me, but I'm glad I've had a chance to own up to and wrestle with my feelings on these issues. I love reading to escape, but I also love reading to challenge myself and become a better person. Basically, books like these are helping me to not be such a douchecanoe.
More book recommendations by me at www.readingwithhippos.com
Nicole Mason grew up all over southern California, the daughter of a teenage single mother. Her childhood was fraught with challenges, but she managed to get out of her rough neighborhood, was accepted into college with a full merit scholarship, and wrote her memoir as a PhD holder and scholar. One of the reasons she wrote Born Bright was to challenge commonly held beliefs about low-income individuals. We’re told the American dream means that anyone can be anything, but the path to success is not the same for everyone despite those sunny proclamations.
At the end of the book, as Mason discussed the need for better social programs and a stronger safety net to keep people from falling into poverty in the first place, I realized I have long bought into the “bootstrap” mentality that so many Americans espouse. The idea that if you work hard, you can make a comfortable living and support a family. The problem with that view, which Mason helped me to see, is that for low-income people there are barriers that middle- and upper-class individuals don't have to concern themselves with. Paying for college, for example, looks a whole lot different if you've been raised in a minimum wage, paycheck-to-paycheck household. Someone like me, with a college fund provided by parents, has a much easier time focusing on grades than someone like Mason, whose mother was on public assistance and had no savings to help her daughter pay for school.
The privileges of my upper-middle-class childhood seem obvious to me now, but it's easy to have blind spots when it comes to our own experiences. Mason's book would be a great one to read if you, like me, have struggled to empathize with or understand the lives of low-income people.
It's been an uncomfortable few weeks of reading for me, but I'm glad I've had a chance to own up to and wrestle with my feelings on these issues. I love reading to escape, but I also love reading to challenge myself and become a better person. Basically, books like these are helping me to not be such a douchecanoe.
More book recommendations by me at www.readingwithhippos.com
auntblh's review against another edition
3.0
This was a good story of a young woman's struggle with poverty and how she fought to overcome the hardships she experienced. I liked that she didn't take a "victim" mentality but told us what she did to succeed.
catladyreba's review against another edition
4.0
Ooh...I have just started this, and right off the bat, I am like, "yes! Preach!". I can't wait to delve into this more, and hopefully educate myself further on poverty in America.
This book was so well done. What an eye-opening look into the subtle ways that systemic injustices in American society keeps the majority of the poor people, well, poor. I think it was so effective because it was so personal. Mason is retelling her life story through a very specific lens, one that the majority of America never gets to glimpse. She is so matter-of-fact in her narrative that you really can't argue with her. She isn't preaching here, just as the catchphrase goes, "telling it like it is".
I wanted to scream with anger and frustration as Mason recounted her experiences in High School, especially in AP classes, or when she was trying to navigate through the college prep and admissions process. It's especially saddens me because I want to think that things like that don't happen, but I know they still do. I worked in a very urban high school in a low socio-economic area. Even though my students received so much more help and encouragement than Mason did, there is still such a huge difference in the mindset of my students versus students in predominantly white middle and upper-class suburbs. The inequity is real, and it is an unfair and uphill battle, but it can be fought.
This book was so well done. What an eye-opening look into the subtle ways that systemic injustices in American society keeps the majority of the poor people, well, poor. I think it was so effective because it was so personal. Mason is retelling her life story through a very specific lens, one that the majority of America never gets to glimpse. She is so matter-of-fact in her narrative that you really can't argue with her. She isn't preaching here, just as the catchphrase goes, "telling it like it is".
I wanted to scream with anger and frustration as Mason recounted her experiences in High School, especially in AP classes, or when she was trying to navigate through the college prep and admissions process. It's especially saddens me because I want to think that things like that don't happen, but I know they still do. I worked in a very urban high school in a low socio-economic area. Even though my students received so much more help and encouragement than Mason did, there is still such a huge difference in the mindset of my students versus students in predominantly white middle and upper-class suburbs. The inequity is real, and it is an unfair and uphill battle, but it can be fought.
guida315's review against another edition
emotional
informative
sad
fast-paced
4.0
I’m not a fan of memoirs, but this one told a story of poverty that could be anyone’s story. The chapter on what should be done is extraordinarily impactful — giving actual solutions to the problem of poverty.
bridgetbo's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
3.75
gmdudley4's review against another edition
5.0
Wow! I'm not sure how to put all of my feelings and emotions about this book into a single review. It is a true account of black girlhood stepped in poverty, sexual violence, neglect, and hope. In this memoir, Mason uses beautiful prose to take the reader through her dark and poverty stricken upbringing. The story while one of redemption is not linear. Through this journey, the author does not defend or persecute key people like her mother who oscillates between neglect and jealousy of her daughter, her mother's lover who sexually abused her, teachers that praise and ignore her, or the people in the neighborhood(s) that, like her, are just trying to survive. Eventually, through her own tenacity and the strained help of a teacher she makes it to Howard University, but there she is met with completly different struggles. The book is a rallying cry for a closer examination of poverty and wealth in the US. I will update my review when I have a bit of distance from the book, but it was truly excellent and a must-read for anyone working with young girls.