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A review by bookishrealm
We Are the Scribes by Randi Pink
4.0
Listen, eventually I'm going to read everything that Randi Pink has to offer. I haven't been disappointed yet. If you're looking for an interesting mix between historical fiction and realistic fiction, this is the book for you. CW: death of a loved one, grieving, selective mutism, racism
We Are the Scribes follows main character Ruth Fitz who has a political analyst as a mother, a professor as a father, and a sister who is an up and coming activist. Unlike the rest of her family, Ruth has a more difficult time finding her voice so she writes instead. Unfortunately, when a family tragedy strikes, Ruth makes the decision to stop writing. Soon she begins to receive letters from Harriet Jacobs the author of Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl with a seal titled "We Are the Scribes."
One of my favorite aspects of this book is it's simplicity. It isn't overly complex, but does a brilliant job communicating the power of finding one's voice. Ruth doesn't feel like she compares to the rest of activist family. It's through the course of changing family dynamics that she realizes how much she contributes to the fight against racism and misogyny. To be honest, I really enjoyed Ruth as a character. When her mother gets the opportunity to run for office, Ruth attempts to stay true to herself even through the simple things like hairstyles and clothing.
The connection between Ruth and Harriet is seamlessly woven into the framework of the story. As Harriet details the struggles and trauma of her own life, readers begin to understand her connection to Ruth. While they are not going through the same exact experiences, the struggle to find one's voice in a sea of many is so perfectly done. I didn't realize how much both of their stories would impact me on an emotional level. They both lose so much that I couldn't help but to empathize with their journeys.
Honestly, this book has so many great elements. I'm so glad that I took the opportunity to read it. My only criticism is that I wish that it was just a tad longer so we could spend more time with the characters; however, I do recognize and realize that I am not the intended audience and that this book would work well for younger teen readers as well as reluctant readers.
We Are the Scribes follows main character Ruth Fitz who has a political analyst as a mother, a professor as a father, and a sister who is an up and coming activist. Unlike the rest of her family, Ruth has a more difficult time finding her voice so she writes instead. Unfortunately, when a family tragedy strikes, Ruth makes the decision to stop writing. Soon she begins to receive letters from Harriet Jacobs the author of Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl with a seal titled "We Are the Scribes."
One of my favorite aspects of this book is it's simplicity. It isn't overly complex, but does a brilliant job communicating the power of finding one's voice. Ruth doesn't feel like she compares to the rest of activist family. It's through the course of changing family dynamics that she realizes how much she contributes to the fight against racism and misogyny. To be honest, I really enjoyed Ruth as a character. When her mother gets the opportunity to run for office, Ruth attempts to stay true to herself even through the simple things like hairstyles and clothing.
The connection between Ruth and Harriet is seamlessly woven into the framework of the story. As Harriet details the struggles and trauma of her own life, readers begin to understand her connection to Ruth. While they are not going through the same exact experiences, the struggle to find one's voice in a sea of many is so perfectly done. I didn't realize how much both of their stories would impact me on an emotional level. They both lose so much that I couldn't help but to empathize with their journeys.
Honestly, this book has so many great elements. I'm so glad that I took the opportunity to read it. My only criticism is that I wish that it was just a tad longer so we could spend more time with the characters; however, I do recognize and realize that I am not the intended audience and that this book would work well for younger teen readers as well as reluctant readers.