Powerful. Johnson’s writing is like a microscope, closely scrutinizing the inequities of the criminal justice system.
Cecelia Beckman, Sheaf & Ink

The Story

One in three Black boys born today will be incarcerated in their lifetime.
Kim Johnson, This Is My America

Tracy Beaumont at seventeen, writes letters to the Innocence X organization. Asking for legal representation for her father’s death sentence conviction. It’s been seven years and she has yet to receive a reply. Her father only has two 267 days to live and the clock is ticking. And when her older brother has a television interview, Tracy takes the opportunity to really get Innocence X’s attention.

But after her failed attempt, something unimaginable happens. Her brother, Jamal, is linked to a high school murder as the lead suspect. Tracy is torn between finding lawyers for her father, while also desperate to seek the truth to her brother’s innocence.

My Thoughts

This Is My America seeks to expand the now very public conversation on police brutality that the Black Lives Matter movement made possible through activism.
Kim Johnson, This Is My America

Johnson has done something incredible in her narrative. She provides a realistic lens of what it means to be Black in America. Her writing is exceptional. Johnson does not shy away from the truth. Her novel explores in detail the terror and horrific realities teens and families of color experience in their day-to-day lives. Emphasizing the ostracizing treatment towards families with members in the prison system.

There are many reasons why this novel is notably relevant and timely, particularly in the Black Lives Matter movement. Johnson provides a Black protagonist, a family who struggles with discrimination, racism and police brutality. Through all this, the Beaumont’s still manage to stay strong and determined to envision a better world.

A Few More Thoughts

I wrote This Is My America to tackle serious topics and give hope to the next generation.
Kim Johnson, This Is My America

I absolutely loved Tracy Beaumont. She is extraordinary. With an ironclad will, even in her moments of doubt, Tracy’s determination never wavered. She is as inspiring as she is brave, a character readers will be rooting for long after the final page.

Not only is this a gripping novel, it gives the reader a sense of hope. Johnson makes it clear that our justice system is flawed, but has the ability to be reformed and change.

Monumental. A story that everyone should read, and then again. Make sure to read this book.

This Is My America is based as much on Thurgood Marshall’s story told in Devil in the Grove as it is on Just Mercy. The present is still a reflection of the past.
Kim Johnson, This Is My America

Happy Reading ̴ Cece

RATING: – Exceptionally Inked