Kotlowitz, the author of There Are No Children Here, revisits Chicago over a summer to write about the individuals affected by violence. Told through intimate profiles of people, Kotlowitz talks to and writes about people who have committed acts of violence, social workers, teachers, and many more.
I had read There Are No Children Here pretty recently and had been eagerly anticipating this new book from the author. He cites that over the past 20 years in Chicago, 14,033 people have been killed and another roughly 60,000 wounded by gunfire. What he does in this book is look beyond those statistics and examine what this kind of violence does to the spirit of individuals and their community. Kotlowitz has a great way of helping tell people's stories without making it seem like they should be pitied; instead, what he shows is how many people have commonalities and how violence can have a devastating impact that creates a ripple effect through communities. I found this book to be interesting and thought-provoking. Coming from the Chicago area and living in different neighborhoods in Chicago, I feel ties to Chicago; however, I am not proud of all of Chicago's history, nor its current state. What I appreciated was that Kotlowitz brings a completely human aspect into all of these news stories and statistics. It's a sobering read.
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