Dear Freedom Writer
Stories of Hardship and Hope from the Next Generation
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
The students of today tell their stories of adversity and growth in letters to the original Freedom Writers—authors of the #1 New York Times bestseller The Freedom Writers Diary—who write supportive and powerful letters in response.
Over twenty years ago, the students in first-year teacher Erin Gruwell’s high school class in Long Beach, California, were labeled “unteachable”—but she saw past that. Instead of treating them as scores on a test, she understood that each of them had a unique story to tell. Inspired by books like Anne Frank’s diary, her students began writing their own diaries, eventually dubbing themselves the Freedom Writers. Together, they co-authored The Freedom Writers Diary, which launched a movement that remains incredibly relevant and impactful today. Their stories speak to young people who feel as if those around them do not care about their lives, their feelings, and their struggles. They want to be heard; they want to be seen.
In Dear Freedom Writer, the next generation of Freedom Writers shares its struggles with abuse, racism, discrimination, poverty, mental health, imposed borders, LGBTQIA+ identity, and police violence. Each story is answered with a letter of advice from an original Freedom Writer. With empathy and honesty, they address these young people not with the platitudes of a politician or a celebrity, but with the pragmatic advice of people who have dealt with these same issues and come out on the other side.
Through its eye-opening and inspiring stories, Dear Freedom Writer paints an unflinchingly honest portrait of today’s youth and offers a powerful message of perseverance, understanding, and hope.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this moving follow-up to 1999's The Freedom Writers Diary, educator Gruwell takes a vivid look at the issues facing teenagers today. In 1994, Gruwell drew on the example of Anne Frank's Holocaust diary to encourage her high school students in Long Beach, Calif., to start recording their thoughts and feelings. The success of the initial project led to the creation of the Freedom Writers Foundation (named for the Freedom Riders of the civil rights era), which provides teachers with "innovative, student-centered, project-driven lesson plans and an engaging social-emotional curriculum." In the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic, the foundation set up an online classroom where students could "bare their souls... so that others could bear witness to their plight and help them heal." The collection contains letters from 50 students writing from the Gaza Strip, New Zealand, Rwanda, the U.S., and elsewhere about dealing with Asperger's syndrome, internalized homophobia, racism, a best friend's suicide, and other thorny subjects. Each letter is accompanied by a compassionate reply from a teacher or one of the original Freedom Writers who has dealt with a similar issue. Shot through with stories of violence, loss, and redemption, this is a raw and emotional snapshot of growing up during a global pandemic.
