Reviews with content warning for Child death - How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America

Reviews tagging 'Child death'

How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America by Clint Smith

25 reviews

tlh239's review against another edition

dark informative reflective sad medium-paced

4.75

A beautifully written excavation of the history of slavery, Jim Crow, and racism in America. The book is shaped around visits to major historic sites, with the author using those conversations and visits to interrogate our thinking and communicating about slavery. He also weaves in well sourced and convincing counterpoints to teach the reader the lie, so they can recognize it as false when they encounter it again.

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siobhanward's review against another edition

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informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

NYT Notable Books 2021: 21/100

This was a fascinating read I never would have come across without the NYT list, so I'm grateful to have found it. Through his research, Smith visits eight significant sites related to American slavery. Each site offers new insight and a new part of the history of slavery and Smith's story is told well. I especially appreciated that he went out of his way to speak with people, Black, white, old, young, like him or not to get their insights into the place. Obviously some of these conversations must have been uncomfortable but they added so much perspective to the book that might have been otherwise lost.

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hellavaral's review against another edition

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challenging emotional informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

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mnatale100's review against another edition

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challenging emotional informative reflective fast-paced

5.0

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kyrstin_p1989's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

Powerful. Compelling. Devastating. I learned a lot I didn’t know about myriad locations around the country (and world) that were and still are institutions of slavery and oppression. There’s a lot to unpack and reckon with about our history as a nation in this book and I think it’s worth the discomfort to know more about the nation’s real history.

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lizziaha's review against another edition

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4.5

Prose written by a poet is just so lovely. And it was interesting to see how a story takes shape: the twists and turns, the reconstructions and the lies. The way that place holds such a deep meaning, and that place is imbued with history. The way that we are still molding history, that our current actions are both informed by history and become history. This book is part of that story that we tell about history. One particular section that I (a white southerner educated in the public school system) plan to revisit is Smith’s discussion of the South’s rallying cry of States Rights and how the story diverges from the history.

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wifeslife's review against another edition

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challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

5.0

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brynalexa's review against another edition

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challenging emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

Poetic, powerful, and thought-provoking. Filled in some gaps in my education while inspiring me to seek out more information on the world’s cruel history.

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amsswim's review against another edition

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emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

I very much encourage everyone to read or listen to this book. Follow the author to important heritage sites to the legacy of slavery through the US and beyond; plantations, prisons, confederate cemeteries. Made me very reflective on random interactions I have had over the years and how the people in my family history may have interacted. The content is graphic and unflinching, which is entirely necessary. It is also one of the best written non-fiction books I have read, I believe because you are going on a journey with the author. I am unable to summarize so much of one amazing book, so I am just going to say again read it.

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heatherilene's review against another edition

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challenging emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

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