The cause cÇläbre that dominated turn-of-the-century French politics; the author argues plausibly that the virulent anti- Semitism exhibited, then presaged the Holocaust. Dreyfus, an ardent patriot since being exiled from his native Alsace after the Franco-Prussian War, was an officer in training in 1894 when it was discovered that military secrets were being passed to the Germans. Seizing him on the flimsiest of evidence, confirmed in the popular mind because he was Jewish, the army court-martialed Dreyfus in secret, illegal proceedings and sentenced him to life on Devil's Island. The effort to reverse this injustice pitted the ``Dreyfusards,'' including such intellectuals as Zola and other left-wing figures, against rabid nationalism and the extensive coverup perpetrated by the army, allied with conservatives and clergy. In 1899, Dreyfus was convicted in a second trumped-up court-martial, then pardoned- -partly because of international indignation; not until 1906 was he fully exonerated. Though the complexity of the detail here may daunt students without a firm grounding in history, Finkelstein (The Other 1492, 1989) sets the myriad facts and players in admirably coherent order and makes clear their significance in the volatile French politics of the period and as an ominous portent of things to come. A significant, sobering piece of the past, well worth pondering today. Well illustrated with b&w photos, cartoons, etc. A timeline and lists of personalities help keep things straight; bibliography; index. (Nonfiction. 12+)
Pub Date: Nov. 7, 1991
ISBN: 0-399-22243-X
Page Count: 156
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: May 20, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 1991
Categories: TEENS & YOUNG ADULT BIOGRAPHY & MEMOIR
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A miniature manifesto for radical queer acceptance that weaves together the personal and political.
Eli, a cis gay white Jewish man, uses his own identities and experiences to frame and acknowledge his perspective. In the prologue, Eli compares the global Jewish community to the global queer community, noting, “We don’t always get it right, but the importance of showing up for other Jews has been carved into the DNA of what it means to be Jewish. It is my dream that queer people develop the same ideology—what I like to call a Global Queer Conscience.” He details his own isolating experiences as a queer adolescent in an Orthodox Jewish community and reflects on how he and so many others would have benefitted from a robust and supportive queer community. The rest of the book outlines 10 principles based on the belief that an expectation of mutual care and concern across various other dimensions of identity can be integrated into queer community values. Eli’s prose is clear, straightforward, and powerful. While he makes some choices that may be divisive—for example, using the initialism LGBTQIAA+ which includes “ally”—he always makes clear those are his personal choices and that the language is ever evolving.
Small but mighty necessary reading. (resources) (Nonfiction. 14-18)Pub Date: June 2, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-09368-9
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: March 29, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2020
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A powerful reminder of a history that is all too timely today.
12
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A beautifully heart-wrenching graphic-novel adaptation of actor and activist Takei’s (Lions and Tigers and Bears, 2013, etc.) childhood experience of incarceration in a World War II camp for Japanese Americans.
Takei had not yet started school when he, his parents, and his younger siblings were forced to leave their home and report to the Santa Anita Racetrack for “processing and removal” due to President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Executive Order 9066. The creators smoothly and cleverly embed the historical context within which Takei’s family’s story takes place, allowing readers to simultaneously experience the daily humiliations that they suffered in the camps while providing readers with a broader understanding of the federal legislation, lawsuits, and actions which led to and maintained this injustice. The heroes who fought against this and provided support to and within the Japanese American community, such as Fred Korematsu, the 442nd Regiment, Herbert Nicholson, and the ACLU’s Wayne Collins, are also highlighted, but the focus always remains on the many sacrifices that Takei’s parents made to ensure the safety and survival of their family while shielding their children from knowing the depths of the hatred they faced and danger they were in. The creators also highlight the dangerous parallels between the hate speech, stereotyping, and legislation used against Japanese Americans and the trajectory of current events. Delicate grayscale illustrations effectively convey the intense emotions and the stark living conditions.
A powerful reminder of a history that is all too timely today. (Graphic memoir. 14-adult)Pub Date: July 16, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-60309-450-4
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Top Shelf Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 5, 2019
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