Though billed here as being written by Amy Klobuchar, this book is a collection of essays written by politicians, activists, actors, and a whole host of other people. As such it does seem to lack cohesion, but it is still a very good read and I will be purchasing a copy for my classroom's library.

I loved this book! The full review will be posted soon at kaitgoodwin.com/books! Thank you very much for this wonderful opportunity to connect books to their readers!

I really enjoyed this book. There were so many inspiring stories about overcoming adversity having to do with race, gender, social class, disabilities, sexual orientation, etc. The diverse representation in this book is refreshing.
I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Sometimes, all you need is to hear to be inspired is what other people have been through in order to be themselves.

James Lecesne, Amy Klobuchar, Maulik Pancholy, Gavin Grimm.


As a Latin American, these names meant nothing to me. Perhaps, the names will not mean anything to a teenager reading Nevertheless, We Persisted, either: the weight of experience and fame would be lost to them. It would also be possible to have heard of some of them and never have heard of the others.

Nevertheless, Nevertheless, We Persisted is important; not only because it provides a glimpse of a better future for struggling adolescents, but because it opens a tiny window of hope to each and every one of us.

When I was a senior in rural Ohio for my exchange student year, I only had two real friends: the librarian (who was way older than me) and my best friend: gay, smart, funny as hell, and an expert in ancient English Lore.

I would sit huddled with my best friend in the lunch room and we would talk as if we were in a Shakespearean play. We would laugh about books and D&D. We also went to prom together. We all knew he was gay, but he only came out openly once he was in college, far away from our little town, and I don’t blame him. Finding your true self is very hard and seems harder when you are in high school. That is where Nevertheless, We Persisted comes in.

This book has so many highlighted passages already, I’m having a hard time deciding which ones should go up and which ones are better to save for when you read the book yourself.


Here is the first one, written by U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar:

“You see, obstacles don’t just challenge us. They change us. They shift the way we view the world, help us grow stronger, and even encourage us to make friends we might not otherwise have.”

This one is by Sally Khon, a CNN journalist:

“And I remember thinking: It all gets better. Not just being gay. Everything. Every second that I’m alive, I become more comfortable in my own skin, more okay with my own faults and foibles, more enthusiastic about my gifts and ambitions. And more genuinely proud, not because I bought pride at a store to put on myself, but from something from within. Eventually. With Time.”

Mathew Burgess is a writer:

“Nevertheless, we persist. And one of the things that sustains us is the hunch, the intuition, and eventually the knowledge, that we are not alone at all. This realization begins when insides begin talking to insides –whether the communication takes the form of a poem, a song, a conversation or an essay.”

I could keep going; I could tell you about Jess Mark, who after an accident taught himself to play wheelchair basketball; about drummer Nate Smith on his path to self-assurance; about Danielle Vabner and the terrible experience she went through at Sandy Hook when she lost her brother Noah, a five-year-old, in the shooting.

I could, but I won’t because you have to read this book, and give it away as a gift, and share it with the world.

Because it’s important. When we are young, we are navigating blind, in isolation, trying to fish for the few threads that will make it safer and better for us, for the threads that will give horizon to our life.

This book is one such a thread.

Nevertheless, We Persisted’ was released this week.

Hardcover Price:$18.99
320 Pages
ISBN: 9781524771966
Genre: Teen and Young Adult Non-Fiction
Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers

“Today is only one day in all the days that will ever be. But what will happen in all the other days that ever come can depend on what you do today.” ~Hemingway

The above quote was read and then repeated at John McCain's memorial service and it is as inspirational as the "48 Voices of Defiance, Strength, and Courage" who contributed to NEVERTHELESS, WE PERSISTED. That new text is quite an interesting collection with perceptive essays from a variety of often lesser known individuals who have overcome obstacles related to race, gender, religion, and sexual identity. I especially liked "Learning about Empathy" by Imran Siddiquee because I think it nicely parallels the work Voices of Equity students have been doing on "What it Feels Like to be ___ at New Trier." In a description of this collection, the publisher notes the athletes, many types of artists, politicians and teens who contributed and asks, "How did they break out of society's limited view of who they are and find their way to the beautiful and hard-won lives they live today?"

NEVERTHELESS, WE PERSISTED contains a foreword by Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar and received a starred review from VOYA and from Kirkus which called it "required reading" and described these essays as stories "of struggle to find identity and self-love while confronting the racism, sexism, homophobia, and classism that remain embedded in American culture." The text includes a brief biography of each contributor as well as several guiding questions to prompt individual reflection and class discussions. Inspired readers interested in activism resources should also look for KEEP MARCHING by Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner (published in May).

This is a collection of essays by a wide variety of people geared for YA. Some are (much) better than others.
I was expecting it to be all women’s stories, but it is not, and that’s okay. There are stories including racism, immigration,, sexuality and gender identity, disabilities and personal loss, as well as sexism.
I do think this book could have done with some better selection of essays, as a few of them seemed very similar to one another and a few were just terribly written, but many of the stories were very moving.

Interesting collection of essays from a variety of authors - some famous, some not. Each talks about how they overcame sexism, racism, etc at some time. There are tales from Auschwitz and tales from modern day bathrooms. Each of these young adults share the story of persistence.

This short collection of essays by people from all walks of life conquering adversity was vey inspiring in the current era. From standing up to sexism and homophobia, to making great strides for a particular race, to recognizing and flourishing in the face of discrimination against a disability, this book is a great read for anyone who feels like they are up against a wall. There is an answer, there is support, and there is a way. You just have to persist.

This collection of essays highlights the experiences of a variety of individuals from politicians to professional athletes to teen activists. These are real people telling real stories in their own words. As a result, these essays are often a little less polished than those in similar anthologies (recent release Hope Nation for instance). However, these stories are still powerful. Two standouts include a letter written from an older sister to her younger brother who was a victim of the Sandy Hook massacre and an essay from a Holocaust survivor. The well-written discussion questions at the end are an added bonus, although they feel more suited to use as writing prompts. Hand this to teen activists who have already devoured similar titles like Hope Nation and How I Resist. Recommended for large high school library collections.