Between the World and Me: Book review



Title: Between the World and me
Author:  Ta-Nehisi Coates
Genre: Memoir/ Autobiography

This book was highly  recommended to me by my professor at Stanford.

Ta- Nehisi Coates is a National corespondent for The Atlantic.  Between the world and me is a letter from Ta- Nehisi Coates to his son Samori which addresses the perils of being trapped in a black body.

The author narrates the horrors inflicted upon him- the price he had to pay for the colour of his skin. He talks about cosmic injustice, racial discrimination, witnessing brutal murders-one that involved  his classmate at Howard University- Prince Jones. He also addresses slavery, his experiences in Paris and how he found his true calling in journalism.

As he states in his book- “Journalism gave me another tool of exploration, another way of unveiling the laws that bound my body..“ He ends this illuminating letter by encouraging his son to pursue his dreams. He also mentions  meeting his classmate’s mother which helped him gain closure.

The author’s tone carries a myriad of emotions from fear, despair, disappointment and anger. Themes of racism and freedom are largely touched upon here. Between the world and me is a powerful and thought provoking read. One that takes you through the author’s life in an empire built on ‘race’. This honest memoir is bound to stay with you for a long time.

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