Book Review: Kent State by Deborah Wiles

War!

War is terrible and never simple. The consequences of war impacts people world wide. 

Kent State is about protesters in 1970 speaking out against the United States's involvement in the Vietnam war. The protests escalated. The National Guard was called in and things got messy. 

Imagine a warm spring day. Finally being able to shed your winter coat. Image the sun shining down. Imagine that your friend, your brother, your father, your uncle... was sent to fight a war that you don't even believe in or understand why the USA is involved with. Imagine that involvement becoming escalated. Image joining other students on the lawn of the university to share your thoughts, your discomfort, your anger... and then:

"It was mayhem.
The police chasing,
the students screaming at them,
the Guard stomping toward us, 
the helicopters churning above us, 
gassing us from the air, 
ghostly tendrils from the canisters
spiraling through the spotlights --"

This was the campus of Kent State on May 4th 1970. A day when protest became violent. Imagine this ripple of war. 

Kent State has an interesting format. It is a novel in verse. There are a number of voices that tell the story - each uses a different font. None of them are identified. This is a really unique way to show a number of perspectives concerning a single event. Even if we stand beside each other and witness the same happening - our stories will be different. Our backgrounds, our mood, what we know, what we desire - will all impact our perspective. 

The book Kent State is available on the shelves of the Nashua South library. You can also find this book on the shelves at the Nashua Public Library and through their app, Hoopla.

Want to learn more about the protests at Kent State? Learn about it here: The May 4th Shootings at Kent State University: The Search for Historical Accuracy