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Number-one New York Times best seller
National Book Award winner
Named one of Time’s Ten Best Nonfiction Books of the Decade
Pulitzer Prize finalist
National Book Critics Circle Award finalist 

Hailed by Toni Morrison as “required reading”, a bold and personal literary exploration of America’s racial history by “the most important essayist in a generation and a writer who changed the national political conversation about race” (Rolling Stone).

Named one of the Most Influential Books of the Decade by CNN

Named one of Paste’s Best Memoirs of the Decade

Named one of the Ten Best Books of the Year by The New York Times Book Review O: The Oprah Magazine The Washington Post People  Entertainment Weekly  Vogue  Los Angeles Times San Francisco Chronicle Chicago Tribune New York Newsday  Library Journal Publishers Weekly 

In a profound work that pivots from the biggest questions about American history and ideals to the most intimate concerns of a father for his son, Ta-Nehisi Coates offers a powerful new framework for understanding our nation’s history and current crisis.

Americans have built an empire on the idea of “race”, a falsehood that damages us all but falls most heavily on the bodies of Black women and men - bodies exploited through slavery and segregation and, today, threatened, locked up, and murdered out of all proportion. What is it like to inhabit a Black body and find a way to live within it? And how can we all honestly reckon with this fraught history and free ourselves from its burden?

Between the World and Me is Ta-Nehisi Coates’ attempt to answer these questions in a letter to his adolescent son. Coates shares with his son - and listeners - the story of his awakening to the truth about his place in the world through a series of revelatory experiences, from Howard University to Civil War battlefields, from the South Side of Chicago to Paris, from his childhood home to the living rooms of mothers whose children’s lives were taken as American plunder. 

Beautifully woven from personal narrative, reimagined history, and fresh, emotionally charged reportage, Between the World and Me clearly illuminates the past, bracingly confronts our present, and offers a transcendent vision for a way forward. 

In the thought-provoking memoir "Between the World and Me," Ta-Nehisi Coates pens a powerful letter to his teenage son, Samori, about the realities of being Black in America. Through a series of deeply personal and moving essays, Coates explores themes of race, identity, and the persistent legacy of slavery and institutionalized racism in the United States.

Coates draws upon his own experiences growing up in Baltimore and his journey as a journalist covering issues of race and social justice. He delves into the complexities of Black history, from the era of segregation to the present day, shedding light on the systemic injustices that continue to plague Black communities. With raw honesty and a keen eye for detail, Coates paints a vivid picture of the challenges and triumphs faced by Black Americans in their daily lives.

The book is a poignant meditation on the struggles of Black identity and the search for meaning in a world marked by division and inequality. Coates explores the concept of "the Dream" - the American ideal of equality and opportunity - and the ways in which it has been systematically denied to Black people. He urges his son to recognize the power of his own voice and to use it to challenge the status quo and fight for justice.

"Between the World and Me" is a powerful and essential read that offers a unique perspective on race and identity in America. Coates's lyrical prose and his unflinching honesty make this book a must-read for anyone who seeks to understand the complexities of racial injustice and the ongoing struggle for equality.

If you are interested in delving deeper into the issues raised in "Between the World and Me," here are some additional resources:

• "The Fire Next Time" by James Baldwin
• "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
• "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
• "Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?" by Beverly Daniel Tatum
• "Black Feminist Thought" by Patricia Hill Collins