Focusing on the journey of a union organizer, the narrative explores his transition into community organizing, where he plays a pivotal role in transforming a Jim Crow city. Through his efforts, he works to improve the lives of its residents, tackling systemic issues and advocating for social justice. The story highlights themes of resilience, activism, and the power of grassroots movements in effecting change.
Root Shock examines three different U.S. cities to unmask the destructive and crippling results of decades-old urban renewal policies.
This moving story about a magical bookstore explores the way war can shape a family and is perfect for book lovers everywhere, especially fans of Pages & Co., Pax, and Wolf Hollow. It’s 1944 Sutton, NY, and Poppy’s family owns and runs, Rhyme and Reason, a magical bookshop that caters to people from all different places and time periods. Though her world is ravaged by World War II, customers hail from the past and the future, infusing the shop with a delightful mix of ideas and experiences. Poppy dreams of someday becoming shopkeeper like her father, though her older brother, Al, is technically next in line for the job. She knows all of the rules handed down from one generation of Bookseller to the next, especially their most important one: shopkeepers must never use the magic for themselves. But then Al’s best friend is killed in the war and her brother wants to use the magic of the shop to save him. With her father in the hospital suffering from a mysterious illness, the only one standing between Al and the bookstore is Poppy. Caught between her love for her brother and loyalty to her family, she knows her brother’s actions could have devastating consequences that reach far beyond the bookshop as an insidious, growing Darkness looms. This decision is bigger than Poppy ever dreamed, and the fate of the bookshops hangs in the balance.
"How do Main Streets contribute to our mental health? This question took social psychiatrist Mindy Thompson Fullilove on an 11-year search through 178 cities in 14 countries. From informal observations, Fullilove discerns the larger architecture of Main Streets. She describes the myriad ways that Main Streets are shaped for social interactions and how they are a marker for the integrity of civilization. Her illustrated book shows how urban centers are essential for gathering people to share information and to tend civic and commercial tasks that benefit all. She addresses ways cities can cure, not only ills of an inequitable, post-industrial culture, but malaise of a post-pandemic culture seeking reconnection"-- Provided by publisher
Focusing on urban segregation and its impact on social health, Mindy Thompson Fullilove explores strategies to enhance neighborhood connectivity and empower marginalized communities. She advocates for an inclusive urban environment as a means to heal and restore fractured cities, emphasizing the importance of community and connectivity in fostering resilience and well-being.