Nevertheless, We Persisted Blog Tour: Review

Nevertheless, We Persisted: 48 Voices of Defiance, Strength, and Courage
Editor: In This Together Media
Foreward: Amy Klobuchar
Genre: YA Nonfiction/Short Stories/Essays
Release Date: September 4, 2018
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers 

Description:

A powerful collection of essays from actors, activists, athletes, politicians, musicians, writers, and teens, including Senator Amy Klobuchar, actress Alia Shawkat, actor Maulik Pancholy, poet Azure Antoinette, teen activist Gavin Grimm, and many, many more, each writing about a time in their youth when they were held back because of their race, gender, or sexual identity--but persisted.

"Aren't you a terrorist?" "There are no roles for people who look like you." "That's a sin." "No girls allowed." They've heard it all. Actress Alia Shawkat reflects on all the parts she was told she was too "ethnic" to play. Former NFL player Wade Davis recalls his bullying of gay classmates in an attempt to hide his own sexuality. Teen Gavin Grimm shares the story that led to the infamous "bathroom bill," and how he's fighting it. Holocaust survivor Fanny Starr tells of her harrowing time in Aushwitz, where she watched her family disappear, one by one.

What made them rise up through the hate? What made them overcome the obstacles of their childhood to achieve extraordinary success? How did they break out of society's limited view of who they are and find their way to the beautiful and hard-won lives they live today? With a foreword by Minnesota senator and up-and-coming Democratic party leader Amy Klobuchar, these essays share deeply personal stories of resilience, faith, love, and, yes, persistence.  

 

Nevertheless, We Persisted is exactly what it's title says: stories about hate and prejudice and how these people overcame their obstacles with strength, courage, and defiance. I'm not normally a YA contemporary person - especially not nonfiction, but I'm glad I gave this book a shot because it really opened my heart and my eyes. We all go about our daily lives with problems that bother us - some small and others large - and we can decide to let them win or we can defeat them. I can personally relate to this as I suffer from mental illness, which feels like a never-ending battle every single day of my life. The stories I read about were from people of different ages, religions, nationalities, sexual preference, etc. but they all had the same thing in common - rising above the hate and prejudice. How they managed to stand up and stay strong during difficult times. I honestly can't imagine how I would react if I were put in most of these situations. It's hard to think about them really happening to people, and honestly, it makes most of my problems seem so small and insignificant in comparison. I'm not going to review each of the forty-eight stories, but everything I've said applies to each of them. It's a bittersweet combination of the horrible things these people went through and the fantastic ways they decided to overcome them. I highly recommend this book for readers of all ages and all genres. It will resonate with everyone and I truly believe we need to open our eyes and hearts to these types of situations. I know it did that for me. Also, definitely recommended for readers looking for stories containing diverse characters.