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A review by booksamongstfriends
Highway of Tears: A True Story of Racism, Indifference and the Pursuit of Justice for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls by Jessica McDiarmid
5.0
What an harrowing and necessary exploration of a grave injustice.
I was really anxious to read this book because it’s a topic I am always eager to learn more about. One can not better advocate, inform, and protect when one isn’t knowledgable. So I was looking forward to learning, and being a part of the readers who are ensuring the voices of the families and victims are forever heard.
From the start, the author captivates and captures readers through a well-done balance of intimate and informational. McDiarmid combines personal insights, historical facts, interviews, and imagery in a way that deeply engages and informs. Her narrative is both compassionate and unflinching, refusing to shy away from the painful realities these families face.
The strength of this book lies in its meticulous research and connectedness. The way it weaves the community lens with broader social and political contexts is truly a gift. McDiarmid does an incredible job of delving into the systemic racism and indifference that have contributed to the disappearances and murders of numerous Indigenous women along the Highway of Tears in British Columbia.
The book is brutal in its depiction of negligence, abuse, abandonment, and the overall lack of attention and ignorance shown towards these girls and women. You can feel the sadness, sorrow, pain, and rage that these mothers, families, and communities endure. McDiarmid brings to light the voices of the victims’ families and their relentless pursuit of justice. Her vision is clear and her storytelling compelling, making the reader care deeply about the issues presented.
Through its pages, “Highway of Tears” exposes the systemic and societal failures that have allowed these tragedies to continue. This book left me angry, moved, and more determined to advocate for justice and awareness regarding the missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. This is not an easy read, but it is an essential one for understanding the depth of this crisis and the urgent need for change.
I was really anxious to read this book because it’s a topic I am always eager to learn more about. One can not better advocate, inform, and protect when one isn’t knowledgable. So I was looking forward to learning, and being a part of the readers who are ensuring the voices of the families and victims are forever heard.
From the start, the author captivates and captures readers through a well-done balance of intimate and informational. McDiarmid combines personal insights, historical facts, interviews, and imagery in a way that deeply engages and informs. Her narrative is both compassionate and unflinching, refusing to shy away from the painful realities these families face.
The strength of this book lies in its meticulous research and connectedness. The way it weaves the community lens with broader social and political contexts is truly a gift. McDiarmid does an incredible job of delving into the systemic racism and indifference that have contributed to the disappearances and murders of numerous Indigenous women along the Highway of Tears in British Columbia.
The book is brutal in its depiction of negligence, abuse, abandonment, and the overall lack of attention and ignorance shown towards these girls and women. You can feel the sadness, sorrow, pain, and rage that these mothers, families, and communities endure. McDiarmid brings to light the voices of the victims’ families and their relentless pursuit of justice. Her vision is clear and her storytelling compelling, making the reader care deeply about the issues presented.
Through its pages, “Highway of Tears” exposes the systemic and societal failures that have allowed these tragedies to continue. This book left me angry, moved, and more determined to advocate for justice and awareness regarding the missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. This is not an easy read, but it is an essential one for understanding the depth of this crisis and the urgent need for change.