Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi CoatesMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
I cannot say I liked this book, but I gave it four stars because of the narrative, which just carries you along. It reminded me of things I'd rather forget, things I know that I'd rather not think about. I know, from reading and seeing the news, something of what he's talking about and I understand why he is afraid for his son. He talks about Prince George's County, Maryland, and that's very close to home. In fact, it is home. He talks about the killing of Prince Jones by a PG County police officer who had followed him to northern Virginia. I remember that. Less than a mile from our house, a young black man ran over a PG County policeman with his car. He was taken to jail, where he allegedly hung himself in his cell. The camera that monitors the prisoners was not working the night he died. Or so they said. The State's Attorney, a black man, said there wasn't enough evidence to prosecute anyone. Well, maybe so, but it looked like just another coverup. The book jacket said that Coates offers a "transcendent vision for moving forward." If it was there, I think I missed it.
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I was going to read it, but I already have too many in my to-read pile. Maybe of they hadn't promised the transcendent vision (which was what I would have expected after hearing a review on NPR), you could/would have appreciated it more. I know the stakes are (much) higher with this book, but it happens to me all the time with movies. The more someone raves about it, the more let down I feel. Human nature, I know. What's next for Life in Merlin?
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