Heaven Shall Burn

Somehow this book report has two books taking place in the same small African country!

Black Livingstone by Pagan Kennedy – A work of nonfiction describing the life of William Sheppard, a Black man in the 19^th century. He was a rarity: something of an explorer and missionary, spending years in the Congo. I was most interested in hearing glimpses of life in the Congo at this time since I knew very little about it. Its people suffered under colonialism but it also contained kingdoms hidden deep in the jungles that hadn’t been plundered yet by Europe, and which had their own fascinating traditions. I also liked that this work uncovered someone who has been lost to history. The book itself was alright, but not captivating or particularly fast-paced. I do object to the title (from a white author, no less). She calls Sheppard a “Black Livingstone”, after the famous white explorer. Really? If a white person fights for human rights, do we call them “White Martin Luther King”?? I kinda feel the author means no harm but still – wtf. Book was published in 2002, and I’d sure like to think that a better title would’ve been created had it been published more recently. Maybe. Grade: 4

My Greatest Save by Briana Scurry – Loved this memoir. So, I don’t follow sports and had never heard of the author, but apparently she is an Olympic gold medal winning soccer goalie. She’s also Black in a white-leaning sport, and has been openly lesbian for most of her career. The memoir is amazing because she hits absolute rock bottom when she sustains a brain injury and can’t make ends meet, and even eventually pawns her Olympic medals. And then a friend and an encounter turn her life around. LOVED it! Grade: 8

Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender – A young adult novel. Felix is Black, trans, and feeling left out because he’s never had a romantic relationship. Then there’s a transphobic incident at school. I wanted to love it but it just moved too slowly for me. I was bored. Also, I recognize that writing teenager-dialog is hard but here it reaches cringe levels. Grade: 3

Rebel Girl by Kathleen Hanna – Memoir by the musician known for the Riot Grrrl movement and for fronting Bikini Kill and Le Tigre. I don’t recall exactly how I first heard of Bikini Kill, but I bought a few of their CDs back in the 90s and loved them. (Also after my first-ever kiss, I was through the moon. I remember dancing in my room afterwards, to a Bikini Kill CD).  Riot Grrrl was a movement I wanted to be part of but it wasn’t exactly happening in the suburb I was in. Anyway, this memoir is fantastic. I could not put it down. A few years ago, I read Moby’s memoir and even though it was like 400 pages, it was never boring and I wanted more – that’s how Hanna’s is too. And I connected with it too because some of the moments Hanna talks about, I remember from my own very distant POV. But it’s not nostalgia. Every struggle Hanna talks about – sexism, SA, illness, miscarriage – it’s all so relatable. Grade: 8

Facing the Congo by Jeffrey Tayler – Another acquisition from a Little Free Library, and another book taking place in The Congo. The author is an explorer. In the 1990s he decides to recreate another explorer’s route, on a dugout canoe. The Congo has all sorts of challenges like corruption, no real functioning government, widespread poverty and widespread disease. Well, I love a recap of a compelling trip, and this one is never boring. Interesting side note: This is not the first book I've read by a white explorer going to a land of BIPOC folks where the explorer later feels some regret about how they treated their guide. Grade: 7