New York : Scholastic Focus, [2019]
225 p. : ill. ; 22 cm.
I'm pleased that Reconstruction is being written about more lately. It strikes me that it is one of the most important periods in American history, a period where the promises of democracy and racial justice had a brief and shining moment and then were crushed under a wave of white supremacist violence and terror that still infects the body politic of the US. Reconstruction helps one understand the latest rise of white nationalism that has essentially taken over the modern Republican Party.
Reconstruction offers hope and not just despair, though. It shows that with vigorous federal power and protections for all citizens, there could be a society where power is shared by all people and not just a privileged few. It also shows how powerful the appeal of dignity and freedom is for people who have been deprived of it - and how that appeal can motivate them to strive for great achievements.
This book has a some of the feel of the Indigenous People's History of the United States for Young People that I read this summer. Gates wrote the book with upper middle and high school age students in mind. That keeps it from being overly heavy and keeps the reader from getting lost in too much information. It is a book I would recommend for both young adults and regular old adults - like me!
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