2025 #58 Undoing the Grade (Stommel)

Undoing the Grade: Why We Grade, and How to Stop by Jesse Stommel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Jesse Stommel is (and has been) one of the most important voices in "ungrading" as a practice. His insights shared on social media, various blogs, and in previous publications have done much to foster the important dialogue(s) that have multiplied over the last decade or so. There's a lot in this tiny volume that is great for excerpting, but the manifesto-like tone and compilation of previous writings (which is more of what it is rather than a book) frustrated me occasionally, especially as someone who is not new to these topics.

Stommel makes a convincing case for "why" we shouldn't grade, for the most part, but the "how to stop" part could be a bit more robust in terms of nuance and detail. That said, there are some really important take-aways, even for those who might not want to adopt a complete "ungrading" approach. Stommel writes, "My goal in eschewing grades has been to more honestly engage student work rather than simply evaluate it" (2). This is a key factor and should be an overarching pedagogical objective for anyone looking into alternative assessments (I use the term in acknowledgement of its problematic aspects). There are also some really wonderful pithy quotes: "Grades are the bureaucratic ouroboros of education" (11) sums up the raison d'etre for Stommel's work, in that it isn't just about grading/not grading/ungrading, etc..., but looking at the larger structural failings of education. "Ungrading" (broadly interpreted) is one way to fight back, and it can be done without necessarily jeopardizing one's gainful employment, especially if it is grounded in sound pedagogy and includes student dialogue and buy-in. That's not to say everyone will have the academic freedom to do so, but as more and more educators make "plus 1" changes (to borrow from Behling and Tobin's Reach Everyone, Teach Everyone: Universal Design for Learning in Higher Education), the tide may eventually turn.

 
Stommel's indictment of relegating "pedagogy" to the LMS is spot-on, although I'd push back a bit at his disdain for rubrics. I appreciate and agree with his criticism of "overly mechanistic" rubrics that are more focused on "efficiency in evaluation" (29), but I gently part company with him when he says: "...when rubrics are given in advance to students, they are likely to close down possibility by encouraging students to work toward a prescribed notion of excellence." (30). While I can see that, I would offer that the right rubric can be an excellent tool for transparency of expectations (especially if those expectations are cultivated through dialogue with the students, as Stommel advocates). With LMS incorporating AI more frequently to assist with things like making rubrics, I fear rubrics are being defined, especially for new faculty, as mechanistic tools for evaluation rather than realizing a fuller potential that they could have as a pedagogical implement for engagement and transparency.

 
In "How to Ungrade" Stommel says, "If you're a teacher and you hate grading, stop doing so much of it." (68). He helpfully differentiates the conversation from one about "efficiency" (a word I'd like to see removed from pedagogical spaces, at least until we regain some balance as far as AI is concerned). I think there's a lot of joy to be had from engaging with student work, and this might shift the conversation a bit: rather than aiming for "less grading" it might be about spending that energy cultivating relationships and I think Stommel makes a strong and impassioned case for doing just that . Overworked and underpaid teachers are (rightfully so) often leaning into "easier said than done" because they are exhausted. So, I'd encourage those who are new to the ideas of people like Paulo Freire and bell hooks to use Stommel's book as a starting point for inspiration, and try out some of the concrete examples for alternative assessment in Chapter 8.

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2025 #57 Failing Our Future (Eyler)

 

Failing Our Future: How Grades Harm Students, and What We Can Do about It by Joshua R. Eyler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a great primer for those uninitiated to the idea of alternative grading, or those who need a baseline rationale. Beautifully researched and convincingly argued, Eyler demonstrates, on multiple levels, the actual harm of grading as a system, without resorting to heavy-handed rhetoric or sanctimonious finger-wagging. Eyler's audience should be parents, educators, and administrators, and there is wisdom here for both K-12 and higher ed. For the purposes of this particular book, his grouping of several alternative grading models under "Standards Based Grading" (SBG) makes sense, but it means that this is not the book if you are looking for nuanced explanations of the differences between, for example, SBG and Specifications (or "Specs") Grading. For that I recommend Grading for Growth by David Clark and Robert Talbert -- a book Eyler cites. Some of the stats and case studies make for tough reading, so consider this a content warning as he does briefly mention suicides at particular institutions (hopefully that doesn't shock anyone working for more than a few years in higher ed). Eyler covers a lot of ground in terms of providing both background and practical advice, and the rich bibliography is a fruitful place for further exploration.

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2025 #56 Signs Preceding the End of the World (Herrera)

 

Signs Preceding the End of the World by Yuri Herrera
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A timely read, the book offers a "hero's journey" of Makina, a Mexican woman sent by her mother to find her brother on the 'other side', while also carrying a "package" for a certain Mr. Aitch. While something is always lost in translation, I think Lisa Dillman worked hard (at least according to the Translator's Note) to pick up on the craft of Herrera's writing. The style reminded me of both Italo Calvino and José Saramago, the former of whom I love, and the latter I'm still trying...

Pay attention to the beginning as it is what helps situate this Campbellian monomyth. There's a lot of subtlety in the book, and certain moments almost seem like meta-narrative: "Using in one tongue the word for a thing in the other makes the attributes of both resound: if you say Give me fire when they say Give me a light, what is not to be learned about fire, light and the act of giving? It's not another way of saying things: these are new things." (67-68).

Yes, it is a book about migration, but also more metaphorical border crossings.

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2025 #55 Elsewhere (Russo)

 

Elsewhere: A Memoir by Richard Russo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I picked this up randomly as someone had offloaded a bunch of Russo's works in a Little Free Library, and I read and enjoyed Empire Falls. While I'm not usually into memoirs, this is really a beautifully written remembrance of his mother. What makes it beautiful is its honesty. Russo steps back enough in the narrative that it almost reads like fiction--we watch love mixed with guilt and manipulation, with a complexity that I think most people will recognize. Russo also addresses ideas of "home" and how easily they can shift and change, but also how love-hate relationships form with places. It is also an unflinching look at the realities of mental illness in a relatable way, revealing how easy it is to enable and excuse with the best of intentions.

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2025 #54 Hamnet (O'Farrell)

 

Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a book about grief and love. "A Novel of the Plague" doesn't really cover it. That the plague is involved becomes less important than the relationships. It isn't an easy book to read if you have a soul. A historical imagining, O'Farrell illuminates the shadows of the historical icon known as Shakespeare, giving life to stories untold and names unsung. Agnes (alternatively known historically as Anne Hathaway) becomes the protagonist of the novel, which might seem strange given the eponymous role of the couple's son, Hamnet. In the end, however, the title is perfect.

I've had this on my TBR list for awhile now, and was eager to read it before seeing the film. I'm having a difficult time imagining it as a film, to be honest, but I've heard good things. I'll need to sit with Agnes as O'Farrell wrote her for a bit before allowing imaginative interlopers. The book is gorgeous in its details, and the semi-omniscient narration allows for a nuanced and multi-faceted empathy.


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2025FLT #8B  Night Watch <---------- Hamnet  (END)

2025 #53 Night Watch (Phillips)

 

Night Watch by Jayne Anne Phillips
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The writing is beautiful--Phillips writes her characters with such tenderness, but it is never overwrought. In fact, there's an interesting distance to the the narrative that keeps things feeling more historical than fictional. There were moments of dialogue that I felt dragged on a bit and the use of dialect made it challenging to engage, but that's more a failing of the reader (me) than the book. The story is incredible, tragic, and inspiring--to warrant all three of those adjectives is indeed a feat.


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FTL2025 7B: Demian<-----Night Watch -----> Hamnet

2025 #52 The Book of George (Greathead)

 

The Book of George: A Novel by Kate Greathead
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Who is George? Well, while we are treated to almost four decades of his existence, I'm not sure I felt any more confident in answering that question at the end than I did at the beginning. George is, it seems, fairly unremarkable, and I think (THINK) that's the point? This does lead to some humor, and the frustrating inconsistency of George's attitudes is also a plus. I think we are supposed to see him as flawed -- and he is-- but who isn't? He's self-centered and winds up in precarious situations of his own making (I couldn't help but think of another George...Costanza!), yet also seems to be able to interact socially and land a spot in a Super Bowl commercial. So, he's complex, in that ordinary human kind of way. His on-and-off again relationship with Jenny, who is also flawed, provided the most interest, but there were several spots where this threatened to be a do-not-finish for me. I'm glad I persisted, however, because I actually liked the (non-)ending because it was perfect for the book (something I appreciate even when I don't love the book that much). Ultimately I think it probably did not resonate as much with my Gen-Xness as it might with younger folk.


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2025 #51 The Great Believers (Makkai)

 

The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It is stunning to me how visceral my memories of the 1980s are due to the AIDS epidemic. As a young person/pre-teen, I certainly didn't understand all the nuances, but I knew my gay stepuncle was losing friends. I remember well when Ryan White was barred from attending classes due to fear of exposure. My stepmom, who was a supplements editor for the L.A. Weekly, brought me home a print of Robbie Conal's "Artificial Art Official" poster of Jesse Helms.

I was not prepared for how all of these memories would come flooding back in reading this book. In the first few minutes of the audiobook, I listened to Michael Crouch and I thought, "Ugh. This is going to be a long haul." I'm so glad I stuck with it, because I was proven wrong. Michael Crouch's distance is absolutely perfect. It removes sensationalism and replaces it with sincerity--a certain pragmatic matter-of-factness that makes the horrors real, rather than extraordinary.

But it also Yale, who might end up being one of my favorite protagonists ever. What a splendid human in his frailty, his courage, his loyalty. He is written so well and so believably, that he is both inspirational and relatable--and it has little to do with his sexual orientation or even his gender. That's the mark of an amazing character, when identity is in the background of what connects to the reader. That's not to say that his identity as a gay man isn't important -- it is huge, and I'd say he's a very important gay character in that he moves in and out of circles that are often narratively exploited as stereotypes, but in a way that reminds us that we are all human beings trying to find our place in the world, seeking out others who will see us.

Nora Lerner is also another favorite character. She holds the torch -- not just for her lover, but for love itself. The entire book is more about love than anything else. And for something to be about love, it must also be about death, because that's the reality of it, isn't it. Makkai drives home the essential aspect of what makes us human. May we all have the someone we love enough to advocate for them long after they have died.

This book does not shy away from the gruesomeness that is AIDS-related death, but it is never for the shock value. It is related with tenderness and honors those that have suffered it. It isn't an easy book to read, nor should it be, but it is also a wonderful book to read. Any book that reaffirms life through a frank and bold look at death (and love, and joy, and suffering), deserves a place of honor.

This is quite possibly my favorite read this year.


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2025 #50 The Finer Points of Sausage Dogs - Professor Dr. von Igelfeld #2 (McCall Smith)

 

The Finer Points of Sausage Dogs by Alexander McCall Smith
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I haven't been reading the series in order, but unlike McCall Smith's serials, the experience doesn't really suffer for it. This is light entertainment, following the capers of Professor Dr. von Igelfeld, as he navigates the topsy-turvy world of human interaction. Whimsical and fun, this book was a good palate cleanser in between some weightier tomes. McCall Smith good-naturedly pokes fun at academia without turning Professor Dr. von Igelfeld into a complete caricature. With a fairly zany plot that ranges from operating on a dachshund to being accosted by aggressive widows looking for mates, this installment of the series gently reminds us of the perils of taking ourselves too seriously.

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2025 #49 Headshot (Bullwinkel)

 

Headshot by Rita Bullwinkel
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3.75
Conceptually, this book is fantastic, and the fact that it highlights young women boxers is exceptional. I bear some responsibility for my somewhat "meh" reaction to the book as I have very little interest in boxing, and I'm sure that sullied my reaction a bit. That said, the book does not go into detail in terms of actual boxing maneuvers, etc, so don't let a dislike to boxing deter you from reading it. I'm just calling out perhaps an implicit bias of my own.

The writing style is appealing, as we are granted access to the headspace of the different competitors. In the end, however, I think I found it too many characters to hold on to, although Bullwinkle admirably fills out a dossier for each with moving and thoughtful details. I think those who made it to the final rounds stayed with me a bit more, but it also took me quite a while to finish the book, so I didn't retain it the way I might have otherwise. I appreciated the glimpses into the future of each of the characters as well, which was a great reminder that we are all our own pasts, presents, and futures. I found Izzy and Iggy the most interesting, perhaps because of their familial connection, which added a whole other dimension to the story.

I wished, perhaps, for more backstory at the outset, so that I could invest in the characters more as the narrative progressed.

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2025 #48 Weyward (Hart)

 

Weyward by Emilia Hart
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It has been awhile since I've read 50% of a book in one sitting, but I picked this up at a LFL in Minneapolis (since the book had been on my wish list for awhile), and read half of it on my journey back to Boston.

It is definitely a more-than-respectable debut for the author, and the chapters were short so the three timelines of Kate, Altha, and Violet received equal footing. I liked the anchoring of witchcraft in nature. I felt the mystery aspect (especially Violet's mother's backstory) could have been beefed up a bit, maybe to replace a bit of the narrative of Kate's journey to the cottage, for example. It did start to feel a bit predictable, as others noted, although I have to say the surprise in the Epilogue made my day (I usually hate epilogues).

A solid and entertaining read.

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2025 #47 The Glass Box (Rolli)

 No review for this one. Suffice it to say it was entertaining, but it needed more context and a better editor.  

2025 #46 Demian (Hesse)

 

Demian: The Story of Emil Sinclair's Youth by Hermann Hesse
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

First published in 1919, I think Demian would have hit me differently had I been reading it in the postwar ethos. Unlike Narcissus and Goldmund, this felt rather dated, but intriguing enough as a love child of Catcher in the Rye and the Sorrows of Young Werther with a dash of Nietzsche and Freud thrown in.

The book was originally published under the alias "Emil Sinclair" who is, in fact, the novel's protagonist. The book isn't really so much about Max Demian, the weirdly prophetic and enigmatic figure who pops up in Sinclair's life, but more about Sinclair's psychological and spiritual growth---or journey (that might be more apt). Hesse isn't subtle about light vs. dark, but what is refreshing about the story is that the two aren't diametrically opposed, or at least that seems to be the insinuation. Women are used as functional figures rather than significant characters, and I can't help but think that the beautiful Beatrice was a nod to Dante and Frau Eva seemed connected to Eden's Eve. Given that one of Demian's first expositions is a reinterpretation of Cain and Abel's story, this sort of intertextuality wouldn't surprise me. Sinclair's dreams are fairly central features to the story, and Hesse's exposure to Freud and Jung is laid bare: "...dreams that had emanated from the unconscious, of dreams in which humanity groped after its intimations of future potentialities" (123).

Sinclair is young and impressionable, at least at first, and Demian rocks his world with his individualistic interpretation of Biblical stories and way of living. The organist Pistorius is a transitional figure, as Sinclair is still looking for a mentor, but also feeling the tug of a need to make his own path. When Sinclair stays with Demian's mother (Frau Eva), things get a bit Oedipal, and fairly cultish. It is hard to connect to Sinclair, who seems to become increasingly Übermenschisch (in some ways), but he's interesting enough (as we are privy to his every rumination and dream). I'd reckon that this would not be the best introduction to Hesse for the uninitiated, but a worthwhile read for those who loved his other works.

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FTL2025 6B challenge DEI Deconstructed<-------------Demian ---------> Night Watch (Phillips)

2025 #45 Beautyland (Bertino)

 

Beautyland by Marie-Helene Bertino
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The title felt a bit gratuitous to me, but then I thought, what would I title this novel? I have no idea. There are moments that read like a charming coming-of-age tale, others that twist your heart as our human-ness is witnessed and performed by Adina, and still others that serve up whimsical nostalgia from the late 70s, spanning from a famous moment on The Price is Right to Voyager's gold-plated time capsule phonograph record. It turns out the whimsy is deeper, after all, especially as Adina struggles with homesickness and trying to belong, and then experiences the deep grief of loss. Similar to Kazuo Ishiguro's Klara and the Sun, Bertino's novel made me care about Adina more than her origin story, and I often forgot that there was an element of fantasy/sci-fi here. Part of this is due to the dry, but not unfeeling, delivery of the protagonist. Adina has an element of an "Everyman" (and yes, I'll use the male dominant term to connect specifically to its 15th-century reference) to her--we are Adina, if we choose to step back and look. What a gift to be able to see ourselves through her eyes, to laugh at our silliness, to cry at our cruelty, to empathize with our pain.

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2025 #44 The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois (Jeffers)

 

The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois by Honorée Fanonne Jeffers
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.5 stars
Alright -- I'm going to start with a disclaimer. I did not know that it was 816 pages when I decided to listen to it as an audiobook. I'm not always as attentive when consuming literature as an audiobook, and my experience is sometimes too influenced by the voice actors, particularly if I don't enjoy their reading. That out of the way....

This is immense and epic, and digs deep into themes of addiction, racism, colorism (within Black communities too), historical relations between indigenous peoples and African Americans, sexual abuse, generational trauma...and more. It is a LOT for one novel to hold, and I wonder if it would have benefitted if trilogized (I just made up a word, I know). I can see, on the other hand, where that might have been a disadvantage -- threads would have been lost, as well as momentum.

The historical narratives resonated the most for me (hi, historian here!), and I appreciated the juxtaposition of Ailey reading about Samuel Prichard in the archives/ interviewing her relatives against the historical narrative so that we weren't just getting Ailey's perspective. The story is brutal in so many ways, and more importantly, it is true in its brutality. What the book has to tell us regarding generational trauma and how it can play out in a variety of ways, is invaluable. The novel is so massively interwoven, it is hard to say where cuts could have been made, but I do have a few things that diminished my experience of the book.

First, I really didn't care for the excruciating detail in describing Ailey's graduate studies. This may be totally personal. I have a PhD, and I'm a history professor, so perhaps I was having my own issues with grad school trauma, but I really didn't want to hear about footnotes versus endnotes. There were a lot of WHO CARES moments for me here. I get that not everyone is acquainted with the process of archival research, but I found these details a distraction from the more important substance of the research she was doing, as well as what she was processing. I also get that there was some mentoring happening with the cleaning of Dr. Oludara's office, but again -- I didn't need the details.

Second, in a case of the details were important but I only needed them once: Gandy. I had no issue with revisiting the situation generally, but playing out the scene, with similar descriptions, over and over and over? I don't generally need trigger warnings, and I am privileged I have never had to deal with that kind of trauma, but I started to feel so beaten down by the *description* (it is painful and disgusting) that it started to feel more about the shocking rawness of the image, rather than the shockwaves of the trauma. I can't imagine that my fatigue, however, is anything like the fatigue suffered by Lydia, Ailey, and Coco. This may be a very different experience from those who have lived through similar experiences, so I tread lightly considering this criticism. It may be more of a personal response to something that might be essential for other readers. For contrast, with a similar situation, we hear about Samuel's sins repeatedly (and effectively), but its always in the service of understanding the fuller picture of the tragedy--the forced silence (when life is on the line), the choices no human being should ever be forced to make, and the overarching theme of power.

My favorite character was Uncle Root, and I loved how he was voiced in the audiobook. You could hear his care, his intelligence, his pride in who he was, and his pride in Ailey. He served an important purpose for me as well -- occasionally I just didn't like Ailey very much. I needed Root's unconditional love of her to remind me how flawed we all are, and that like it or not, I probably had some real "moments" myself in my twenties. I struggled with the voicing of Ailey in the audiobook-- I felt her "little girl" voice/narrative never really left and I think that was part of my problem. I don't know if it was intentional, but it grated a bit.

I want to recognize my positionality here (white woman), because I think it is important. There's a lot in this book that I've never experienced, and likely never will experience. But that may be exactly the reason to read this book. The criticisms I mention above are quibbles relative to how this "epochal saga" (as Kirkus Reviews would have it) operates on SO MANY different levels: multi-generational history, coming-of-age story, family dynamics, polemics of perspectives (e.g. Du Bois v. Booker T. Washington)...just to name a few. There are stories wrapped in stories wrapped in stories, demanding an attention and care from the reader that few books even dare to achieve these days. The archival epilogue is a must read/listen for its beautiful array of sources -- do NOT skip it.



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2025 #43 Martyr! (Akbar)

 

Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This remarkable debut novel lives up to the hype. Fans of Akbar's poetry won't be disappointed, as he weaves in poems into the manuscript authored by the protagonist, Cyrus, an Iranian-American poet, writer, and recovering alcoholic. I did not know what to expect, having read little about the book as I'm simply trying to read all the 2025 Tournament of Books selections, and I think I'm better for not knowing what I was getting into. It is hard to describe the ride that is this book -- it is beautiful, tragic, funny, historical fiction, and one of those books where you feel you can connect with almost every character. There's even a plot twist -- handled deftly by Akbar, without resorting to clichéd sentimentality. Akbar lays bare themes of addiction, abandonment, artistic impulse, religiosity, media filters, racism, sexuality, and yes-- martyrdom--all in a way that seems like one of those rare honest conversations one might have with a close friend (often while inebriated, for some). The only drawback (if I can call it that) for me was the final scene between Cyrus and Zee. While I understand the reason for the lack of earthiness, it jolted me out of what I loved so much about the book -- the "here-and-nowness" of it--the starkness and the reality. I would have enjoyed a more subtle experience. But that doesn't keep me from saying that Martyr! is definitely in my top five books that I've read this year.

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2025 #42 The Fifth Woman - Wallander #6 (Mankell)

 

The Fifth Woman by Henning Mankell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Having been a fan of the series with Kenneth Branagh (we didn't have the opportunity to watch more than one episode of the original Swedish series), I was eager to compare the experience of reading one of the books. This did not disappoint. There's a lot happening. Lots of character development for Wallander, who is going through his own stages of grief. My only real complaint is that I wanted more of the catalyst to be involved in the plot. Instead, we get the trigger, and we know who the culprit is, but I was left feeling like the plot took a huge left turn, and used insanity as the defense. Still, there are truly interesting characters and it was a rich experience for a book that I'd normally designate as a "beach read" (nothing wrong with that, but this book was more intense and deep than anticipated!).

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2025 #41 The Wedding People (Espach)

 

The Wedding People by Alison Espach
My rating: 4.5 stars

4.5 stars. I enjoyed this way more than I thought I would, but I also seem to have bias against certain types of cover art? Anyway, Phoebe is an amazing protagonist, and the book is full of characters who are hiding behind façades, and Espach lets us see that so that they don't become caricatures. The initial premise doesn't seem like it would be very funny--and it isn't--but the story is so very human and redemptive in that the characters get to be real people, making real choices. A delightful read. As it is part of my Tournament of Books 2025 list read, I'll say I enjoyed it more than Margo's Got Money Troubles, which is a good comparative in terms of style/genre.

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2025#40 The Poisonwood Bible (Kingsolver)

 

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Some books, possibly the best books, are experiences. That most definitely describes this epic work. Any review I might write here would not match the scale of the book, but I will try to offer some thoughts. I won't take up space with a summary, since that is available elsewhere, but get right to what made the book so powerful for me.

Characterization. I'll focus on the main characters here: The four daughters are very different, starting with the Nellie Oleson-like eldest daughter Rachel, who launches malapropisms at her detractors (real and imagined) as if they were poisoned arrows. We can occasionally laugh at her (one of my favorites: "Thyroid Mary"), but when she isn't overwritten, we might recognize the whiteness of settler colonialism at perhaps its most pernicious, because it comes with such a set of excuses and sense of self-righteousness. There are also moments where she might remind us of certain "leaders":

"Heck, wasn't I the one hollering night and day that we were in danger? It's true that when it happened I was the oldest one there, and I'm sure some people would say I should have been in charge." (465)

Leah strives to be pious (at least initially) and to please her father, but unlike her older sister, we see far more growth in her character. Adah, Leah's twin sister, is physically disabled, but likely the smartest of the bunch and relies upon manufacturing palindromic phrases (the juxtaposition of this linguistic ability against her sister Rachel's is not lost on the reader). The youngest, Ruth May, has probably one of the more "hit-you-over-the-head" narratives in the book, but we learn why. Then there is the father - Pastor Nathan Price, and the mother, Orleana. Except for Rachel, occasionally, no one is a cliché. We grow to care both for their individual narratives, as well as that of the family. Some of the other major characters, like Anatole, for example, we see mostly through the eyes of one (or more) of the daughters and this is important to remember because Kingsolver seems to do this to recognize her own positionality.

There are so many pull quotes -- I'm glad I read this on my kindle so I could easily share them on GR, but aside from the story itself, Kingsolver's gift with language is astounding. Even the simplest description becomes fresh in her words: "In the local market, a bubble of stopped conversation moves with me as I walk." (472) And occasionally, we get something akin to an aphorism: "we are our injuries, as much as we are our successes" (496).

Truly the book deserves an essay-length review, but if I am not up to the task it is for lack of time, not desire. For readers unfamiliar with the history of the Congo in the twentieth century, I'd recommend even just a quick Wikipedia review before launching into this book (and I almost NEVER , as a historian, recommend Wikipedia). This would make a VERY interesting "companion" read to Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness.

It took me a good chunk of the summer to finish this book -- not because it is long, but because I had to set it aside occasionally. It is rich, sorrowful, deep, informative -- there's just a lot. But I think it deserves that time and attention.



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2025 #39 DEI Deconstructed (Zheng)

 

DEI Deconstructed: Your No-Nonsense Guide to Doing the Work and Doing It Right by Lily Zheng
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I let this book sit for far too long on my shelf. I've long admired Lily Zheng for their posts on social media (I follow them via LinkedIn). While Zheng has since introduced a new approach to DEI: the FAIR Framework (Fairness Access Inclusion Representation), it is essentially the outcome-driven approach she advocates in this book. While the current governmental attack on DEI has not that much to do with the weaknesses described in this book (at least politically), their advice is sound and certainly would have/would strengthen DEI initiatives at all sorts of institutions: companies, higher ed, etc. It is truly "no-nonsense" -- very "tell it like it is" without unnecessary abrasiveness or grandstanding. They really want to help us all do better. Chapter 2, where Zheng "reformulate[s] the key terms and concepts of the DEI space away from their feel-good buzzword roots and toward operationalized and tangible outcomes" is particularly useful.
There were several "mic-drop" moments for me, such as:
"Identity isn't morality. Being privileged or marginalized on one or more dimensions of identity doesn't make us any better or worse as people; it simply positions us differently and offers us different advantages and disadvantages within broader systems. It changes the power we have access to and our ability to understand experiences similar to and different from our own." (165)
It doesn't get much more "no-nonsense" than that.
What is really helpful is that Zheng's approach can help ANYONE first, identify their stakeholder role (as well as their relationships to other roles), and then provides helpful reflections and exercises to make those things a reality within our varied spheres of influence.
Really essential reading for anyone doing work in the "DEI" sphere -- even if the acronym has changed, it is worth thinking about the pitfalls because they can easily occur no matter the abbreviation we use.

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FTL2025 5B challenge DEI Deconstructed---->Demian (Hesse)