Know My Name: A Memoir by Chanel Miller, written in 2019

 

While Chanel tells the details of her experiences after learning she had been assaulted outside of a fraternity party at Stanford, we learn about the strength of a survivor who is trying to find her "normal" while awaiting trial. While this book is both heart-wrenching and courageous, Miller articulates the complexity of being an assault survivor with wit and charm. Both a writer and artist, Chanel pulls in the reader with her descriptions and details. She brings us with her as she recalls heartbreaking moments along her journey as "Emily Doe," and what life was like for her as she decided to share her identity with the country.

Her strength is awe-inspiring, and the way she articulates her perspectives is almost philosophical. While her assailant was only sentenced to 6 months in county jail (and only actually served 3), Miller struggles with shame and isolation. Throughout the book, readers are forced to reckon with our ideas of privilege, sexual predators, and the criminal justice system. Chanel is a leading writer of our time who will not only change the way you see our world, but also the way you may see yourself.

Submitted by Karen Archibee, Zonta Club of Oswego

The Future We Choose: The Stubborn Optimist's Guide to the Climate Crisis by Christiana Figueres and Tom Rivett-Carnac

 

A cautionary but optimistic book about the world’s changing climate and the fate of humanity, from Christiana Figueres and Tom Rivett-Carnac—who led negotiations for the United Nations during the historic Paris Agreement of 2015.

The authors outline two possible scenarios for our planet. In one, they describe what life on Earth will be like by 2050 if we fail to meet the Paris Agreement’s climate targets. In the other, they lay out what it will be like to live in a regenerative world that has net-zero emissions. They argue for confronting the climate crisis head-on, with determination and optimism. The Future We Choose presents our options and tells us what governments, corporations, and each of us can, and must, do to fend off disaster. This book is available in both written and audio formats.

Under the Skin: The Hidden Toll of Racism on American Lives and on the Health of Our Nation

 

by Linda Villarosa, 2022, 269 pages, hardback, e-book, and audiobook.

In this powerful, carefully researched book, journalist Linda Villarosa builds on her 2018 articles on mortality among Black mothers and infants to describe the significant health challenges faced by Black American simply because they are Black. She effectively combines articles from medical journals with personal accounts to paint  a convincing picture of how Black Americans “live sicker and die quicker” than their white counterparts, no matter their income or education.

She outlines three different reasons for the much poorer health outcomes among Black people:

·       Bias in the health care system leading to different treatment of Black and White patients

·       Environmental injustice which disproportionately exposes Black communities to pollution from highways, toxic waste dumps, and lead pipes and so on

·       “Weathering”—the chronic stress resulting from constantly coping with racism that can result in premature aging and poor health outcomes. 

She also asks the important question: “What if Black people are simply the canaries in the coal mine?” Does sustained discrimination cause harm to anyone, no matter their race? To help answer this question, she visits West Virginia, one of the whitest (93% white) and poorest states, with the lowest life expectancy in the nation.  She found that West Virginia is plagued by some of the same diseases that shorten the lives of Black Americans with poor physical and mental health.

Villarosa documents unending examples of social racism, inbred bias, and general neglect, but somehow remains hopeful for change, introducing individuals and programs that are making positive differences. Her compelling account clearly reveals that the American medical system must be reformed. A convincing must-read.