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cakt1991 's review for:
Angel of Greenwood
by Randi Pink
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
I was lamentably uninformed about the Tulsa Massacre of 1921 prior to picking up this book, but it piqued my interest due to its relevance to today’s continued fight against racial injustice, and gained even more significance in the wake of the recent riot in Washington DC.
The book does a great job of conveying the event in context without sugarcoating anything. There’s a stark darkness in the lead up to and during the attack itself that is poignant and definitely sticks out in my mind as we continue to grapple with these issues and the fallout from racial violence that goes uncondemned a hundred years later. Randi Pink does not flinch from depicting the event for what it is, an act of domestic terrorism, and holding both the white men and women involved accountable.
However, there is also a ray of hope and light. The central narrative follows teenagers Angel and Isaiah, who initially seem somewhat unlikely friends, but end up bonding and falling for one another after their teacher offers them both work. There was something so sweet in their interactions with each other, finding out about the things they do have in common. It was incredibly heartwarming to read about them bonding, while also having a countdown to the riot coming with the passage of pages and in-story time, creating the perfect tonal balance that ultimately left me shattered in the best way.
This was an incredibly enlightening read, and one I hope many will pick up to educate themselves about the Tulsa Massacre and the deeper issue of racial violence in relevance to our political climate today. While it is marketed to teens first and foremost, this is one I think will absolutely resonate with adults as well.
I was lamentably uninformed about the Tulsa Massacre of 1921 prior to picking up this book, but it piqued my interest due to its relevance to today’s continued fight against racial injustice, and gained even more significance in the wake of the recent riot in Washington DC.
The book does a great job of conveying the event in context without sugarcoating anything. There’s a stark darkness in the lead up to and during the attack itself that is poignant and definitely sticks out in my mind as we continue to grapple with these issues and the fallout from racial violence that goes uncondemned a hundred years later. Randi Pink does not flinch from depicting the event for what it is, an act of domestic terrorism, and holding both the white men and women involved accountable.
However, there is also a ray of hope and light. The central narrative follows teenagers Angel and Isaiah, who initially seem somewhat unlikely friends, but end up bonding and falling for one another after their teacher offers them both work. There was something so sweet in their interactions with each other, finding out about the things they do have in common. It was incredibly heartwarming to read about them bonding, while also having a countdown to the riot coming with the passage of pages and in-story time, creating the perfect tonal balance that ultimately left me shattered in the best way.
This was an incredibly enlightening read, and one I hope many will pick up to educate themselves about the Tulsa Massacre and the deeper issue of racial violence in relevance to our political climate today. While it is marketed to teens first and foremost, this is one I think will absolutely resonate with adults as well.