Perez, Ashley Hope. Out of Darkness. Minneapolis, MN: Carolrhoda Lab, 2015.
I had to sit with this one for awhile before I could write a review. Not because I disliked it, but because it touched me so deeply and left me so raw that I wasn't sure what to say exactly. Based loosely on the 1937 New London school explosion, Perez's novel is a story of young love, painful prejudice, bitter loss, unspeakable cruelty. The love story is that of Naomi an Cash. She is of Mexican descent and he an African American. Their presence is barely tolerated in their community and certainly a relationship between them must remain a secret and does so for most of the novel. Naomi is forced to move with her younger twin siblings when their father finds religion and is encouraged by his pastor to bring his young children to live with him. They have been staying with their grandparents for all of the 10 years since their mother died during childbirth. Naomi's grandparents insist that she join them in the hopes that she will get a better education and a better chance at a good life. They are unaware of the painful secret Naomi has kept hidden in the years since her mother's death. Naomi keeps her distance from Henry, her stepfather, but steps into the role of housekeeper and mother to the twins. She is not welcomed into the all white school she is attending and the community that surrounds it. Try as she might to keep her head down and get through each day, she is drawn to Cash who wins her over by charming her brother and sister. Their relationship develops slowly and peacefully over time and is beautiful to watch. But...the ugly grows. The prejudice in the residents runs deep. Henry's true nature surfaces intermittently as the reader learns Naomi's secret. (Not a surprise...he is just dismal.) And Perez just creates this beautiful and ugly story in a way that engaged me subtly but very surely.
I don't want to spoil anything, but the inevitable explosion and the ramifications that follow. I simultaneously knew what was happening and was stunned as the suspense mounted and the events unfolded. I almost couldn't read some of it, but I had to. And I was left gutted. I appreciate Perez's efforts throughout the novel to balance the dark with the light. But the end was mostly just dark for me. Having said that, I don't see how it could have ended any other way. The ugly of the world can be so profound but is so real.
The brutal honesty in this book surely caused me to reflect as I often do on genre and the classification of books. Out of Darkness is marketed to young adults but certainly its content is equally appropriate for adults. Kids need to see real characterizations of the prejudice that can shape folks in the world in which they live. The issues of race and gender live painfully on and we will look toward the next generation to continue toward some resolution. I was so struck with the ugly, though, that I will be very careful as to what young adults I would recommend it. Perez handles molestation, the development of a sexual relationship, spousal abuse, and rape deftly, not graphically, but the darker moments are so incredibly cruel and painful I lost my breath. Not all of my young readers are ready for such honesty. But for the mature and adult in my circles, a must read. Thought provoking - this book can inspire change.
A variety of ways exist for me to book talk this title. Naomi is a strong young woman, and I can certainly put her with the other young women whom I admire. I can certainly include it in books about racism, prejudice, and immigration. Students seeking historical titles would be a good fit. These are 11th graders who would be better prepared for the mature aspects of the book.
