Tag: Nonfiction

Never Caught

~ rachelbenzine ~ Leave a comment

Plot:

We all know of George Washington. He’s an American hero. What we don’t talk about as often is the fact that he owned hundreds of slaves. Ona Judge was technically the property of his wife, Martha Washington. When George and Martha moved to Philadelphia to begin their reign as America’s first family, Ona was one of the slaves they took with them. And at age 20, she successfully escaped from the Washington household. Never Caught is the story of the Washingtons, their human property, and their pursuit of one woman determined to live in freedom.

What I loved most:

American history is messy. George Washington helped found this country that is built on the concepts of freedom and all people being equal – and he also owned hundreds of slaves. Both of these things are true. This is the kind of history that you’re not taught in school (or at least the kind of history that I wasn’t taught in school), but if we’re truly committed to loving America and making this country the best that it can be, we absolutely have to explore our history in its entirety. Ignoring the evil in our past doesn’t make it any less real. Never Caught shares an eye-opening, brutal story that I’ll forever be mad about. This is an important read, y’all.

Read this book if you like:

History, biographies, unlearning and relearning, Black history month

Book details:

  • Author: Erica Armstrong Dunbar
  • Publisher: 37 Ink
  • Date of Publication: February 17, 2017
  • Interest Level: High schoolers and adults

Fierce, Free, and Full of Fire

~ rachelbenzine ~ Leave a comment

Plot:

Fierce, Free, and Full of Fire is a call to women to embrace who God made us to be. We weren’t created to be scared – scared of connection, scared of isolation, scared of living too big or too small of a life. Each person has their own goals, their own desires, their own dream life. It doesn’t push people into only one kind of life – whether you want to run a successful business, stay at home with your kiddos, or anything in between, you’ll find encouragement in this book. This book challenges us to look at our own lives, figure out what we want them to look like, and make it happen.

What I loved most:

New Year’s Day is one of my favorite holidays. I love to take time to reflect on the past year, see how God has worked and revealed Himself to me, and set some goals for the upcoming year. I started Fierce, Free, and Full of Fire right after New Year’s, because I liked the concept of going through a book that would push me and challenge me and help me assess things in my life that are going well, and things in my life that I want to change. This book is absolutely beautiful. It encourages you to celebrate your strengths, and provides positive encouragement to make change without any of the guilt or shame that sometimes comes along with wishing things were different. Check it out when you have time to reflect on the truths within it, legitimately assessing your life and praying that God will show you how to make the changes you want to see.

Read this book if you like:

Christian living, reflection, connection, New Year’s Day, goal setting, hearing that you’re so loved and valued by a God who spoke the universe into being

Book details:

  • Author: Jen Hatmaker
  • Publisher: Thomas Nelson
  • Date of Publication: April 21st, 2020
  • Interest Level: Adult

Tangled Up in Blue

~ rachelbenzine ~ Leave a comment

Plot:

Rosa Brooks was a forty-something law professor when she decided to become a Reserve Police Officer in Washington, D.C. Reserve police officers in Washington D.C. carry a gun, respond to emergency calls, go out on patrol – they serve in a volunteer capacity, but hold much of the same responsibility of any other police officer. Tangled Up in Blue chronicles Brook’s journey through police school and her experience of being a cop in our nation’s capital. She both shares personal stories of her shifts, and takes a step back to examine the larger culture of police officers and the criminal justice system at large. This book comes out in a couple of weeks – make sure you grab a copy!

What I loved most:

This book is described as being both for people who think police can do no wrong, and people who think police can do no right. Obviously, people have THE strongest opinions on policing right now. Y’all know that I am personally fascinated by the criminal justice system, and I just had to backspace a bunch in this review to take out what was turning into a lengthy monologue on the need for the system to be completely overhauled. But here’s what I love about this book: Rosa Brooks doesn’t make excuses for the real disparities between how different races are treated by the criminal justice system. She doesn’t claim that all police offers are perfect and infallible. But she also shares the real experiences of police officers in this day and age, showing that there are just so many good police officers out there trying to keep their communities safe. We as a society love to see things in black and white, good or bad, absolute terms. Tangled Up in Blue rests in the grey.

Read this book if you like:

Criminal justice, taking the time to listen without preconcieved notions, acknowledging systemic inequalities, sociology, memoirs

Book details:

  • Author: Rosa Brooks
  • Publisher: Penguin Press
  • Date of Publication: February 9, 2021
  • Age Recommendation: Adult