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A father’s letter to his teenage son about growing up Black in America
2015Steady paceThoughtful
What it is about
Ta-Nehisi Coates writes to his fifteen-year-old son about what it means to live in a Black body in the United States. He draws on his own childhood in Baltimore, his years at Howard University and his experiences as a father. The book mixes memoir, history and reflection.
Who will enjoy it
Readers who want a personal and powerful essay on race in America.
What you will get
A short but weighty book that has been widely read and discussed. It won the 2015 National Book Award for Nonfiction.
Between the World and Me Facts: Pages, Genre and Setting
Genre
Nonfiction · Race · Letter · Memoir
Length
152 pages · ≈ 4 h
More about this book
Characters
Ta-Nehisi Coates and his son Samori.
Setting
Baltimore, Washington and Paris.
What makes it different
It is written as a personal letter, which gives it an urgent, intimate tone.
Feel
Raw, lyrical and serious.
Ways of Seeing
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking
Moneyball
The Autobiography of Malcolm X
Thinking, Fast and Slow
Mayflower
The God Delusion