Our Hidden Conversations by Michele Norris

OUR HIDDEN CONVERSATIONS by Michele Norris, an award-winning journalist, offers an excellent and fascinating look at “What Americans Really Think About Race and Identity.” As described in this Washington Post article, she began The Race Card Project several years ago, using postcards to collect people’s 6 word comments on race. Her book is filled with those statements, often with accompanying stories, background context, and photos; at one point, she refers to it as a scrapbook. Some content will seem familiar, perhaps, and other chapters will surprise, maybe even shock, readers. As Norris writes, “the people who spend time with The Race Card Project might not find common ground, but they are exposed to new ideas and worlds beyond their realms.” Due to the uniqueness of each contributor's experience and the willingness to show vulnerability, OUR HIDDEN CONVERSATIONS is inspiring, honest, and thought-provoking. One of the most haunting comments: “after all, if you've paid any attention to how minorities have been treated in this country over centuries, you might reasonably be concerned about becoming one.” OUR HIDDEN CONVERSATIONS received a starred review from Booklist (“an eye-opening read and …. wide-angle look at others' thoughts on race”). Highly recommended.

Norris points out that she is compiling a piece of the American story that we normally don’t get to hear; in addition to her amazing book, you can hear and see more on NPR’s special series site from roughly ten years ago. And, for those intrigued by Norris’ postcard project, Six Word Memoirs have been with us from Not Quite What I was Planning (2008) to I Can't Keep My Own Secrets (from teens in 2009) to A Terrible, Horrible, No Good Year (filled with pandemic reflections in 2021). Concise yet clever opportunities for reflection.  

PLEASE NOTE: Michele Norris will be speaking on January 19 at 11:30 Central time on Washington Post Live. More details are available at this link: https://www.washingtonpost.com/washington-post-live/2024/01/19/michele-norris-our-hidden-conversations-about-race-identity/

Added: Here is an interview with her from PBSNewsHour

  

The Thai Cookbook

THE THAI COOKBOOK by the editors of Chartwell Books is certainly a unique and attractive cookbook, offering “more than 80 delicious recipes, regional styles, and flavors.” In addition to standard sections (e.g., fish, meat and poultry, vegetables, desserts), the editors have included multiple recipes under sections about street food, curries, and stir fries. They have also incorporated a few food journeys where they provide more background about flavorings or sweets, for example. The accompanying pictures – of both people and food – are gorgeous. Other options exist for “easy” or "beginner” Thai foods since these recipes are relatively complex, especially in terms of their use of traditional ingredients and spices. A few examples: chicken wrapped in pandanus leaf; curried fish steamed in banana chilis; or Thai fried noodles with prawns. No nutritional information is included, but the editors have incorporated a glossary and useful index; those who enjoy this cuisine will likely find several meal ideas to explore.

You are Here: Connecting Flights

I do not often write about books for late elementary and middle school, but this one is so exceptional it deserves the effort: YOU ARE HERE: CONNECTING FLIGHTS edited by Ellen Oh. In this collection, twelve authors (including award winners like Traci Chee, Linda Sue Park, and Randy Ribay to name a few) have crafted an interconnected set of short stories. They take place at fictional Chicago Gateway International Airport during a storm that results in numerous delays. The young characters are all Asian American, with travel plans and family backgrounds related to a variety of countries (China, Japan, Korea, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam). Each child or teen faces some sort of discrimination and/or rude comments from other passengers or airport employees, BUT each grows and steps up to confront the racist situation. That repetition felt potentially triggering for young readers, although it clearly was empowering, too. I think it would be fascinating to know more about the Zoom planning sessions between these very talented authors – many of the stories occur simultaneously and refer to a central character of another story which is intriguing and could be a fun puzzle for student readers to display graphically. In addition to their geographic cultural heritage, the characters are diverse in terms of religion, learning differences like autism or musical ability, and family situation (e.g., two dads, grandparents, only child, sibling responsibilities, etc.) – reflecting the life circumstances of the intended audience as well as a theme of belonging and connection. YOU ARE HERE: CONNECTING FLIGHTS received starred reviews from Booklist (“consistently engaging and rewarding”), Kirkus (“compelling and nuanced”), and Publishers Weekly (“artfully conceived and executed”).

No Limits and China After Mao

NO LIMITS by Andrew Small, a well-connected and experienced policy analyst, offers rather dire warnings while describing “The Inside Story of China's War with the West.” For example, Small points to Huawei and its attempts to exert control through establishing 5G infrastructure as activity leading to Western resistance which, in turn, prompted China to retaliate, further strengthening its reputation as a bully. It is interesting to speculate on future directions for relationships as each side undoubtedly perceives a shift from being world trade partners to a greater rivalry and perhaps outright threat, economically, technologically, and militarily. Small is not hesitant in his characterization of players involved, saying, “The polished, pragmatic heirs of Zhou Enlai have made way for diplomatic thugs.” He looks at the West’s rather delayed reaction to China’s Belt and Road Initiative and devotes an entire chapter to COVID 19 and “the politics of the pandemic,” again questioning China’s motives and highlighting a lack of cooperation and openness. Throughout, Small mourns the loss of voice and intellectual freedom in China, making a compelling argument that “the era of closer business and political ties between China and the West is over.” He advocates for more immediate, dramatic focus: “the risk is that the joint response to China falls far short, hobbled not by the full frontal opposition of years past but by inertia, inattention, a desire for the path of least resistance.” Be prepared for some denser text interspersed with fascinating insider personal stories, including those involving Small’s friend, Desmond Shum, author of Red Roulette (named a 2021 best book of the year by The Economist and Financial Times). NO LIMITS has an eye-catching cover and is certainly worth a deeper look, especially since it will remind readers of the need for updated perspective and of how little most of us really know about Chinese history, its leaders, and their intentions. 

CHINA AFTER MAO by Frank Dikötter, Chair Professor at the University of Hong Kong and Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, takes an historical perspective, tracing action in China from Mao’s death in 1976 mainly through 2012 when Xi Jinping officially took power. Dikötter writes, “If this book proves anything, it is that without political reform market reform cannot exist.” His assessment is chilling, noting comments like this one from a party leader in the late 1980s: “once their living standards had been raised, people in China would acknowledge the superiority of socialism. And then, he added, ‘we can gradually reduce the scope for liberalisation further and further.’” Dikötter also points out some surprising facts – did you know that China has less than a million resident foreigners? He says this is “roughly 0.07 percent of its total population, the lowest proportion of any country, less than half that of North Korea” and well below the 2.8 percent figure for Japan. Of course, I had already heard of dissidents like Liu Xiaobo, Ai Weiwei, or Chen Guangcheng, but Dikötter places their actions and the party’s reaction in a wider context, including recent events when “in 2015, the campaign turned against the business community, with a string of corporate leaders arrested for fraudulent investments abroad. Several billionaires disappeared, leaving the others scrambling to prove their loyalty to the party.” Extremely detailed and informative, CHINA AFTER MAO contains an extensive bibliography and numerous reference notes based in large part on Dikötter’s access to archives in mainland China. This newly published title received a starred review from Kirkus (“an excellent, highly critical description of China’s spectacular expansion”) while Publishers Weekly characterized it as “a must-read for China watchers.” 

China by Edward Rutherfurd

School just started and I have already submitted an order for a title requested by a student: CHINA by Edward Rutherfurd.  This 700+ page book is quite an ambitious undertaking, but like Rutherfurd’s earlier works (New York, Paris, etc.) it is meticulously researched and filled with intriguing details. In this case, the focus is on nineteenth century China with sections about The Boxer Rebellion, First Opium War, and China’s relationship with European states, especially the British. As always, Rutherfurd employs a range of characters, many of whom are common people, to vividly relay history. Rutherfurd’s Sarum (in large part about the construction of Salisbury Cathedral) is one of my favorite books and I would especially recommend his work to fans of Ken Follett. CHINA is an Editors’ pick (for Best Literature and Fiction) on Amazon although other professional reviews were rather mixed.