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mariaviola's review against another edition
medium-paced
4.0
really not a fan of non fiction in general but had to read this for school & it was honestly such an important read. a nice mix of the history of texas, juneteenth, & the author's personal experience. i also had the pleasure of attending a lecture by gordon-reed which was a great supplement to the book. wish i had learned more about this in high school!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Slavery
knitterscasket's review against another edition
challenging
informative
medium-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
kshertz's review against another edition
informative
reflective
fast-paced
3.25
This is a very short book that details the authors history with Texas and mixes in the history of Juneteenth with Black people’s history in Texas in general. There was some that I knew but a lot that I didnt. I think most impactful for me is realizing that origins stories for Black people don’t just come from being on a ship with Europeans as well as talking about what integration did to Black teacher’s lives. There’s so much good historical information to go through and learn.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Genocide, Racism, Slavery, Violence, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Colonisation, and War
penguiniq's review against another edition
informative
fast-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Slavery
Moderate: Genocide and Sexual violence
readingthroughinfinity's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
4.0
This is a really interesting blend of memoir and history woven into a collection of essays about June 19th, or Juneteenth. Juneteenth is a national day/holiday in the US recognising the end of slavery after it was abolished on June 19th 1865. Annette Gordon-Reed describes her own life as a Texan, her family history, and their experiences of racism. She looks back at the history of slavery in Texas, how Major General Gordon Granger announced the end of legalized slavery there, and the role of Native Americans and Mexicans in the state. There's so much information packed into quite a short book book and I learned a lot from listening to it on audio.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Hate crime, Racism, Slavery, Violence, Murder, and Classism
nadia's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3.0
I don’t know whether it was the timing of me listening to this (and mostly listening when I was tired), or the structure of the book itself, or the Texas focus, but I really struggled to connect with it and stay focused, which is surprising to me given the subject matter.
Notwithstanding, this book is deeply researched and packed with information, and I’m realising that I love informative books that weave in memoirs/personal stories.
If you want to know more about the history of slavery, Juneteenth, and the state of Texas in relation to these, this book is a must read.
The narration of the audiobook by Karen Chilton is great also!
Notwithstanding, this book is deeply researched and packed with information, and I’m realising that I love informative books that weave in memoirs/personal stories.
If you want to know more about the history of slavery, Juneteenth, and the state of Texas in relation to these, this book is a must read.
The narration of the audiobook by Karen Chilton is great also!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery
Moderate: Racism
jmc2187's review against another edition
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Slavery
fclancy93's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
fast-paced
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Hate crime, Racism, Slavery, Violence, and Murder
Minor: Bullying, Rape, Sexual assault, and Kidnapping
stephbakerbooks's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
A short yet super informative book on the history of Black people in Texas—from the 1500s to Juneteenth. Despite the title, this book is about a lot more than Juneteenth, and doesn't really even discuss Juneteenth until the end. But don't be disappointed—there's a whole lot of good historical nuggets in here. I loved that the author mixed historical events with her own personal history, and she shared how learning about these events affected her life as a young Black girl growing up in Texas. A little bit of memoir mixed with a lot of history that I don't remember learning before made for an excellent read.
I think I could re-listen to this book every year on Juneteenth; it's short enough to listen to in a day but full of good history enough that you'll always pick up on something new. Highly recommend!
I think I could re-listen to this book every year on Juneteenth; it's short enough to listen to in a day but full of good history enough that you'll always pick up on something new. Highly recommend!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Hate crime, Racism, Slavery, and Violence
bookiecharm's review against another edition
challenging
informative
slow-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, and Police brutality