A raw and indelible work that presents the experiences, perspectives, and voices of ordinary people.
This work of war reportage presents illustrations, reflections, and interviews with everyday people who were in Ukraine when Russian forces attacked the country in February 2022.
British journalist and artist Butler visited the country in March 2022, only days after the initial invasion; he completed a return trip in the spring of 2023. While he conducted his interviews and observations during a specific time frame, a broader history—as well as ruminations on the human condition and the “circularity of war”—emerge through and within them. The visceral accounts are deeply affecting, mixing stories of trauma and quotidian aspects of life and reflecting their subjects’ varied perspectives—when Butler met them, Volodymyr was 7 and Madame Olga was 99. Butler includes stories of survival, sacrifice, and unspeakable violence, as well as reflections on community care and people’s hopes and dreams and what brings them joy. The subjects and settings are carefully rendered in sparsely colored ink, watercolor, and collage illustrations, offering a loose, unfinished style that befits the ever-evolving stories and conflict. In most instances, a portrait is followed by a write-up offering each subject’s name, age, location, and context about how Butler came to be in contact with them. Many portraits are accompanied by the subject’s own words, recorded through direct conversations or email exchanges; Butler acknowledges the assistance of “Ukrainian fixers, translators, and drivers.”
A raw and indelible work that presents the experiences, perspectives, and voices of ordinary people. (map, afterword, art notes) (Nonfiction. 12-adult)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9781536240436
Page Count: 168
Publisher: Candlewick Studio
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
PERSPECTIVES
Small but mighty necessary reading.
A miniature manifesto for radical queer acceptance that weaves together the personal and political.
Eli, a cis gay white Jewish man, uses his own identities and experiences to frame and acknowledge his perspective. In the prologue, Eli compares the global Jewish community to the global queer community, noting, “We don’t always get it right, but the importance of showing up for other Jews has been carved into the DNA of what it means to be Jewish. It is my dream that queer people develop the same ideology—what I like to call a Global Queer Conscience.” He details his own isolating experiences as a queer adolescent in an Orthodox Jewish community and reflects on how he and so many others would have benefitted from a robust and supportive queer community. The rest of the book outlines 10 principles based on the belief that an expectation of mutual care and concern across various other dimensions of identity can be integrated into queer community values. Eli’s prose is clear, straightforward, and powerful. While he makes some choices that may be divisive—for example, using the initialism LGBTQIAA+ which includes “ally”—he always makes clear those are his personal choices and that the language is ever evolving.
Small but mighty necessary reading. (resources) (Nonfiction. 14-18)Pub Date: June 2, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-09368-9
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2020
A fierce, penetrating, and empowering call for change.
Artist and activist Vaid-Menon demonstrates how the normativity of the gender binary represses creativity and inflicts physical and emotional violence.
The author, whose parents emigrated from India, writes about how enforcement of the gender binary begins before birth and affects people in all stages of life, with people of color being especially vulnerable due to Western conceptions of gender as binary. Gender assignments create a narrative for how a person should behave, what they are allowed to like or wear, and how they express themself. Punishment of nonconformity leads to an inseparable link between gender and shame. Vaid-Menon challenges familiar arguments against gender nonconformity, breaking them down into four categories—dismissal, inconvenience, biology, and the slippery slope (fear of the consequences of acceptance). Headers in bold font create an accessible navigation experience from one analysis to the next. The prose maintains a conversational tone that feels as intimate and vulnerable as talking with a best friend. At the same time, the author's turns of phrase in moments of deep insight ring with precision and poetry. In one reflection, they write, “the most lethal part of the human body is not the fist; it is the eye. What people see and how people see it has everything to do with power.” While this short essay speaks honestly of pain and injustice, it concludes with encouragement and an invitation into a future that celebrates transformation.
A fierce, penetrating, and empowering call for change. (writing prompt) (Nonfiction. 14-adult)Pub Date: June 2, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-09465-5
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: March 14, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2020
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
