Any book by Nic Stone is a must read for me. I'd even read Fundamentals of Organic Chemistry (the flunking of which prevented me from becoming a vetinerian) because Stone could make it comprehensible, interesting, and probs banned in Florida. So when I saw Dear Manny, the final volume in the trilogy that includes Dear Martin and Dear Justyce, on a new book shelf in the Orono Public Library YA section you better believe I snapped it up.
In a letter to readers before the narrative starts Stone writes about three universal truths she came to realize through communication with her readers:
"1. Being a person is hard.
2. Being a person in relationship with other people is harder.
3. Being a person in a multicultural 🌎 where you have to be in relationship with lots of people, many of whom look, think, feel, and believe differently than you do, is the hardest thing of all."
The whole narrative is built around sentence 3. And Stone is doing something bold and totally unexpected in the third book. Narrator Jared is not only white and legacy well off but he's appeared in the first two as "entitled and annoying".
"And that was the scariest part of all: knowing I was actively humanizing a character that readers of Dear Martin love to hate. The question that churned in my brain as I wrote: Would readers hate me not hating Jared? For caring about him, even? For loving him and holding space for him to be a person too?"
Jared is in college now. He's rooming with Justyce from back home. (Justyce had survived the police shooting that had claimed Manny's life.) He's a reluctant member of the fraternity that provided his alumnus father with the best years of his life.
Jared decides he must run for Junior Class Council president because the only other candidate, John Preston LaPlante IV, is a white supremacist racist who shares Trump's goal of removing all traces of diversity, inclusion, and equity from higher education. In fact he claims that DEI stands for didn't earn it.
But Jared has a secret that that would disqualify him if it became known. Being white and well off he's gotten a crime expunged from his record. A Black football star at his school has been expelled for less.
When a third candidate enters the race life gets even more complicated for Jared. Dylan Marie is a Black activist who has him questioning his beliefs and commitments. He can't drop out of the race and risk LaPlante winning...
...But he might just might more than like her.
Dear Manny is a riveting narrative featuring many faceted people in complex relationships. Actually all of Stone's are worth reading and, if you have discretionary cash, buying. They're drawing the ire of the MAGA crowd. The first two books in the trilogy are we being banned all over the country.
If you're anything like me you'll want Stone to keep ruffling feathers and calling bullshit as often and long as possible.
On a purrrsonal note, I hope that those of you who observe Easter had a really good one. I had an eventful Easter. I was able to attend my church in person for the first time in ages. Then Eugene took me for a ride in his new used truck and got us McDonald's lunch. When we'd been home awhile we realized precious Tobago has managed to get outside. I was really scared. We live really close to the Veazie Forest with animals that think cats are fast food. Eugene and I were looking when I ran into Romeo, the tuxedo cat who has quite a crush on Tobago. I looked him in the eye and imagined my cat. I said, "Find Tobago and bring her home." He trotted off purposefully. Sure enough about 10 minutes later he led her into the yard. I call that an Easter worthy miracle.
A great big shout out goes out to my church family, Eugene, Romeo, and of course precious Tobago who is napping in a pool of sunshine coming through the window.
Jules Hathaway
Sent from my U.S.Cellular© Smartphone
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