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Reviews
How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America by Clint Smith
mardigan2's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
4.75
marinaemoore's review
5.0
If I could pick a book for everyone in America to read, it would be this one. Smith so eloquently writes about slavery and its inextricable ties to America’s founding and how we are (or in some cases aren’t) still grappling with our history today. His book is thoughtful, it’s interesting, it’s eye-opening.
History books can be intimidating because they are often dense and hard to follow. This was refreshingly opposite. This is a must read!
History books can be intimidating because they are often dense and hard to follow. This was refreshingly opposite. This is a must read!
woolerys's review against another edition
informative
reflective
slow-paced
4.5
Clint Smith is a talented poet so I was curious about his first work of non-fiction. I liked the pacing and the mix of recounting history, describing the sensory details of being in the various places he travels, conversing with historians/docents/curators/etc. and other tourists, and reflecting on it all. I found it sobering but not hard to read—in fact there were spots where I couldn't put it down. Definitely a worthwhile and valuable book.