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A review by candicanepdx
A Place for Us: A Memoir by Brandon J. Wolf
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0
This book is a must-read for anyone who lives in this country. Brandon‘s vulnerable storytelling as he takes us through his journey of loss and tragedy is so powerful. His story teaches us how to find help, strength, and purpose in the darkest of hours. I hope everyone who reads it is just as inspired as I am to carry on Drew and Juan’s legacy of making this world something to be proud of (to quote the author).
I knew Brandon in high school, but we were just acquaintances. He was a year younger than me and we were both in plays and drama class. We both quit the play Footloose in 2003, most likely for different reasons.
Reading about his experience in our shared high school, it was gut-wrenching, but I can now say that it is not surprising to me at all. Years ago it would’ve been, but ever since I started learning about how Black people are treated in America; the police brutality and subsequent protests in Ferguson (and many more places since), I’m no longer shocked by how he was treated. I’m more shocked that I’ll lived in Canby, Oregon for so long without noticing how racist everyone was/is.
I knew Brandon in high school, but we were just acquaintances. He was a year younger than me and we were both in plays and drama class. We both quit the play Footloose in 2003, most likely for different reasons.
Reading about his experience in our shared high school, it was gut-wrenching, but I can now say that it is not surprising to me at all. Years ago it would’ve been, but ever since I started learning about how Black people are treated in America; the police brutality and subsequent protests in Ferguson (and many more places since), I’m no longer shocked by how he was treated. I’m more shocked that I’ll lived in Canby, Oregon for so long without noticing how racist everyone was/is.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence, Racism, Death of parent, Rape, Grief, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Mass/school shootings, and Homophobia