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A review by mldavisreads
Rural Voices: 15 Authors Challenge Assumptions About Small-Town America by Estelle Laure, Randy DuBurke, David Bowles, Nasuġraq Rainey Hopson, Joseph Bruchac, Yamile Saied Méndez, Tirzah Price, Monica Roe, Veeda Bybee, Shae Carys, Nora Shalaway Carpenter, Rob Costello, David Macinnis Gill, Ashley Hope Pérez, S.A. Cosby
reflective
5.0
Young adult short story collection. This collection defines rural as "belonging to a community consisting of ten thousand people or fewer that is a significant driving distance from an urban area."
This anthology aims to break down one of the remaining things it is socially acceptable to make fun of people for-- being a "hick," or "trailer trash," in other words- being from a rural community. It also helps break up the stereotype that all rural communities are full of straight, white people who want to get out of there as soon as possible. Whether it's going to the McDonald's for the only reliable internet or being chased through the woods by an escaped bull, these stories have something for everyone. They are mostly realistic fiction, though some are written in verse, and there are a few in comic format and one that is more like a straight memoir. It is a collection that spans multiple states and does include things like rodeo queens and 4H but also includes several LGBTQ relationships and an east coast boarding school that causes a nervous breakdown.
I enjoyed this collection and look forward to reading more from these authors. I also appreciated the way it made me check some of my own biases, and hopefully I can use that knowledge to be more intentional when speaking to and about those from rural America.
This anthology aims to break down one of the remaining things it is socially acceptable to make fun of people for-- being a "hick," or "trailer trash," in other words- being from a rural community. It also helps break up the stereotype that all rural communities are full of straight, white people who want to get out of there as soon as possible. Whether it's going to the McDonald's for the only reliable internet or being chased through the woods by an escaped bull, these stories have something for everyone. They are mostly realistic fiction, though some are written in verse, and there are a few in comic format and one that is more like a straight memoir. It is a collection that spans multiple states and does include things like rodeo queens and 4H but also includes several LGBTQ relationships and an east coast boarding school that causes a nervous breakdown.
I enjoyed this collection and look forward to reading more from these authors. I also appreciated the way it made me check some of my own biases, and hopefully I can use that knowledge to be more intentional when speaking to and about those from rural America.