"This was such an incredibly well-written and powerful YA story about Ruth, a young Black girl whose mother is running for Vice President of the United States while the rest of her family is still grieving the death of her older sister.

Randi Pink has earned her way onto my must-read list over the last year and I am never disappointed. This book empowering, and so beautifully written. Ruth is a powerful young woman and I love how she slowly found her voice and used it! I loved the realistic and flawed characters. The plot was simple and not overly complicated but it allowed for the characters to shine in their growth as a family dealing with loss while dealing with what it means to be black and in the spotlight in America.

Recommended for everyone!
"

I loved this book and totally think it deserves more hype! It follows Ruth, a Black teen whose activist family is still reeling from her sister's sudden death. Ruth feels as though she's lost her voice, until she begins to find letters from Harriet Jacobs, the author of the autobiography and 1861 American classic, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, which inspire her to speak up.

This is a really moving story about losing your voice and finding it again. I enjoyed learning about Harriet Jacobs, since I wasn't familiar with her, and I loved watching Ruth rediscover her own power. This is a quiet, character-driven book that is perfect for fans of "Black Was the Ink." This was my first Randi Pink book but it won't be my last.

I haven't seen this one getting much attention but I hope that changes! I'll definitely be promoting it at my library.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me free access to the digital advanced copy of this book.

Fantastically compelling . Pink balances an exploration of institutional racism with a more primary focus on the brokenness in a family, the destructive influence of grief, and the impact of being a public figure on an entire family. Each moment of the plot is poised to either mend their relationship or tear them entirely apart. It's beautifully rendered and perfectly balanced emotionally.

FULL REVIEW at https://www.wilsonhillworks.com/

Ruth Fitz is part of a powerful Black family, as the daughter of an activist father and the Vice Presidential candidate mother. When her sister tragically dies, Ruth shuts down and is, understandably traumatized. Coincidentally, this is also the time that she unbelievable starts to receive scrolls from Harriett Jacobs, the author of an autobiography written in 1861 called Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. Somehow the space time continuum can be breeched so that Ruth in modern times can receive letters from Harriet from the 19th century. Harriet helps Ruth and her family through the pain of loss with the hope of bringing them out on the other side.

4 1/2 STARS

READ THIS IF YOU LIKE Octavia Butler’s Kindred

Contains: cursing, sibling death, parental abandonment, slavery, cruelty, PTSD, grief

Thank you to the author, Randi Pink, the publisher, and NetGalley, for the e-ARC of this book.

When I saw the author of Angel of Greenwood had a new novel I jumped at the chance to read and review. Randi Pink has a wonderful talent of teaching and enlightening while telling us an intriguing story. Angel of Greenwood focused on the Tulsa Race Massacre and while I was familiar with this vile history, I knew nothing about the historical figure who featured in We Are the Scribes.

Ruth's mother is a senator and a visible and vocal force for legislative social change. Ruth's father is a very popular professor of African American history. Ruth's older sister Virginia is the one stepping into their parents' path as an activist with a growing social media presence. Ruth is the quiet one. Ruth is the writer, the scribe.

When tragedy strikes, Ruth stops writing. A political opportunity takes Senator Fitz further away from her family and her father is angry and withdrawn. While Ruth feels them falling apart, she is still silent. Until parchment paper letters sealed with We Are the Scribes start arriving at her apartment.

Could these letters truly be from Harriet Jacobs? Harriet Jacobs, the author of the 1861 classic, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl is someone Ruth has heard about extensively from her father and sister Virginia. But how could that be possible?

As the letters, which seem to find her no matter where she is, inspire Ruth to once again pick up her pen, she also is the catalyst for her family's healing. Blending two storylines with a bit of magical realism, Pink weaves a thoughtful story of two women, generations apart, finding their voice and their power. This is an underrated gem in my opinion and I hope more readers find this book.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley and Feiwel Friends for the advance digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

I picked this up because in my college course I read the story of Harriet Jacobs. This story follows our main character Ruth. Her family is still grieving the loss of her sister. In this story, Harriet Jacobs is writing to encourage Ruth through her trouble. This story deals with trauma, pain, and grief, yet the intertwined reality of the past and present.

I went into this book with zero expectations, and barely any knowledge of the plot. After finishing, I feel that I can not confidently describe it to you. This isn’t a bad thing. This book is great. It is powerfully written, never shying away from what it wants to say. It’s about a girl, Ruth, who is scared to use her words after her sister tragically dies, but does so anyway after famed American author, Harriet Jacobs (look her up), begins writing to her. That simplifies it so here’s a bullet-point list of all the things this is about:
• Families
• Grief
• How this family handles and works through their grief
• The power of black women and girls
• What it means to trust someone
• The power of words
• American politics, and how they are often not in favor of black women
• Harriet Jacobs
And mostly, this is a book about hope. Through all the grief and trauma and family tension there are these powerful glimpses of hope and love. It’s amazing to read and I encourage everyone to read this. I think it should be taught in schools, so all people can learn what Ruth learns.

Randi Pink is certainly someone I’m going to read from again! I love the way history and blackness is part of the story.

Another great work from Randi Pink.

We Are The Scribes is about finding your voice when you feel like you no longer have one. Ruth is dealing with the death of a family member and a change in dynamics within her family. She’s always loved to write but seems to have lost her motivation to do so. She begins to get mysteries letters from a Scribe who shared her own personal story with Ruth and pushes her to find her voice.

This book was beautifully written and on thing I loved about Randi Pink is that you can always learn something new while reading her books. They inspire and I would def recommend her work not only to young adults but to readers of all ages.

Randi Pink has been on my author radar since earlier this year when I read Angel of Greenwood. I was completely captivated by the way that she wrote and knew I wanted to read more from her. So when We Are The Scribes became available on Netgalley, I was quick to request it. The premise of this newest novel is about a teenage girl who is visited by the ghost of Harriet Jacobs, an enslaved woman.

So first of all, I have a confession to make. Prior to this book, I had never heard of Harriet Jacobs. I have already borrowed the audiobook of her autobiography Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl and am looking forward to listening to it. There are brief snippets of her story throughout We Are The Scribes but, her main focus is helping Ruth find her own voice.

Ruth is experiencing so many different emotions through out this story. First, she is trying to find her way through her grief from the loss of her older sister. Her sister loses her life being a political activist and protesting in the local park. This is a huge loss for Ruth and her entire family. Each of them are dealing with it in their own way and it is creating a break within their family.

As a reader, I could feel the pain coming off the page when the family shares a moment together. This pose is just so good! I empathized with all of characters and took note of all of the social commentary within their words and their actions. The social commentary is intertwined with the letters from Harriet Jackson which brings everything full circle. The families role in politics also allows for some really good social commentary.

We Are The Scribes has so many different levels to it. I really enjoyed how the layers built on one another and helped Ruth find her voice. She found her voice for expressing her thoughts and emotions for the past, present, and future. It really is beautifully done. And the character development is honestly top notch. I look forward to seeing what Randi Pink comes up with next!

From my blog post about audiobooks but applies to the E-ARC: This was a book that sold me by its beautiful cover but the story definitely affirmed what I felt would be a great one. It combines the past with the present along with grief and joy beautifully; it also made political commentary digestible (it’s not a huge amount but it is apart of the narrative due to the MC’s parent’s professions & pasts). There is also a different take on paranormal influence in how the spirit reaches out to the main character, which I liked (you have to read in order to find out how that is). The narrator did a great job with this story and giving the characters varying voices. I did wish that they had another narrator for the secondary voice in the story so it really denotes that characters age and the levity of what they are saying as well as differentiates them. Other than that, this would be a great book to add to a social studies unit along side books like Black Was The Ink by Michelle Coles, whether the class listens to it together on audiobook or reads the physical/e-book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I didn't enjoy this one as much as Angel of Greenwood. I couldn't connect with these characters or the story at all. There was nothing actually wrong with it, it just wasn't for me.

It is a super quick read. I was able to finish it in just a few hours. If you're looking for a YA with family healing and a slight touch of politics then you should give this one a shot.

4.5 stars

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review.

I really enjoyed Randi Pink’s prior book, and I was intrigued by the premise of her next book, We Are the Scribes. I love Pink’s exploration of lesser known Black historical figures and events, who weren’t touched on within the limited history education in school, this time bringing to light the life of enslaved woman turned writer Harriet Jacobs, and exploring the possibility of her contacting a young Black girl writer from beyond the grave.

I love how the subtle supernatural elements were used to provide a connection between Harriet and Ruth, with Harriet’s letters appearing magically at various points throughout the book to provide Ruth with insight and wisdom.

Ruth’s story is also compelling, as it explores multiple complex issues. She’s reeling from grief after the loss of her sister who is killed in the middle of a protest, and her family is further fracturing due to her mother’s decision to become a Vice-Presidential candidate in the upcoming election. It’s moving to explore how Ruth is impacted by her mother’s choices, and how she also observes her father respond to her mother’s choices. Everyone is reckoning with grief and loss in their own way, and struggling to grapple with how others in the family are choosing to do the same.

I love how the narrative highlights Ruth’s journey to reckon with her complex feelings and rediscover her love for writing. She also really comes into her own as an activist in her own right.

This is an incredibly moving read, and I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys hard-hitting contemporaries and/or stories about Black history.

Well Randi Pink does it again! I absolutely loved ANGEL OF GREENWOOD so I was excited to see their next book come across on NetGalley and this does not disappoint. WE ARE THE SCRIBES gives readers the other side of politics by showing how teenage Ruth Fitz and her family are impacted by her mother's political run... especially when they find out that she has been nominated as the Vice-Presidential candidate. While readers see how each member of the Fitz family struggles to handle all the pressures of DC and American politics, we also see them try to cope with the sudden death of Ruth's older sister.

Interwoven with the Fitz storyline is that of Harriet Jacobs (an African-American writer born into slavery that wrote LIFE OF A SLAVE GIRL published in 1861) writing letters to Ruth to help her rediscover her voice and power as a writer (a scribe). I now need to read more about Harriet because she sounds like a truly remarkable woman.

Pink's prose is as beautiful as it is powerful and there were many times where I got emotional while reading this book. I was cheering the Fitz family on in the moments that they eloquently fought back and I appreciate how Pink chose to end this novel... even if I needed the story to go on for longer (mostly because I wasn't ready to let go of Ruth or Harriet just yet).

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley, Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, and Feiwel & Friends. in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an advance copy for review.

Words cannot describe how much I loved this book and how impactful it is.

Ruth's family all consider themselves activists, which is why her politician mother announces she will be running for vice president. This comes soon after Ruth's sister. Virginia, is killed at a protest. This story is of a grieving family, all coping in their own ways to the detriment of each other. Ruth, an avid writer, stops writing and keeps even her spoken words to a minimum. That is, until, she is contacted via notes and scrolls by Harriet Jacobs, reminding her of her power and the power of her words.

I am going to be thinking about this book for a long time. It does an amazing job at tackling grief, racism, and misogyny in a YA context, as well as including such a remarkable historical figure as Harriet Jacobs to guide Ruth through these things. We Are the Scribes would make a great addition to history curriculum as well.

This was fantastic. It follows a teenage girl reeling from the death of her sister and the sudden elevation of her mother from US Senator to Vice Presidential nominee. It all becomes too much for her, and she ceases talking. Until, that is, she starts receiving letters from Harriet Jacobs, one of the bravest, most resilient authors and American Heroes of all time.

I may or may not have picked this up because I spent many of my formative years in Edenton - ifykyk and if you don't you will after reading this book - and therefore have always been interested in Harriet Jacobs (and slightly horrified too because DANG the white guilt comes on strong when one is confronted with the horrors perpetuated by white people in the South - I have tried and failed to read Incidents five times because it is literally too close to home). Edenton is a small town, and when the book actually goes to there, I was pretty shocked and apprehensive. The author described my hometown better than I could've myself. She nailed it. Ok anyway, Edenton aside, the book is awesome. It's got a little bit of everything, but at the end of the day, it's quite cathartic. The main character, Ruth, is so sympathetic as are her family and the side-characters (ily Jane!). There's obviously a lot of social commentary about what it's like to be a black women in the US. And like I said, there's a lot of catharsis, but there's also a Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous element (I mean, the VP nominee gets good stuff, y'all) and some fist-pump-inducing moments. It's got a little bit of everything.

You best believe I'll be booktalking this one. Starting tomorrow. 5 stars - go read it. For everyone.

Thank you to #NetGalley, Randi Pink, and the publisher of the book for the eARC copy in exchange for an honest review.
Ruth comes from a family of powerful activists. When her family is rocked by a tragedy, Ruth stops doing what she loves the most, writing. Life starts to move on though and Ruth's mom is given a political opportunity that she cannot refuse. Now that her mom's a senator, Ruth starts receiving letters from the author of an autobiography that was written in 1861. Is this Ruth's chance to get a fresh start and begin writing again?

A great YA read full of activism that is perfect for young adults. It was also neat to learn that Harriet Jacobs was a real person who did so much during the time of slavery and wrote an important narrative about what it was like to be a slave.

We Are The Scribes is the second Randi Pink book I’ve read and loved. The writing style is simple, yet effective, which helps tackle tough topics like racism and misogyny for the YA audience. A story within a story. A story of parents and children. Of mothers and daughters. Of women. I also found it to be very cathartic dealing with loss, no matter how old.

My goodness, this book. This! Book! I need everyone to read it because it is so powerful and important and wonderful and emotional.

Ruth is a sixteen-year-old Black girl living in Birmingham, and after the death of her older sister she loses her words. Her mother is a senator and on the way to running for Vice President, and in that capacity ran away from her family and grief. Her father is a professor of African American history but has started to change, wearing suits when before he wore sweater vests. And Ruth’s baby sister, Melody, is also struggling with her words in the face of their family’s silence and grief. But one day Ruth receives a scroll from Harriet Jacobs, an enslaved woman of the 1800s who spent seven years in a crawl space in hiding and wrote an autobiography, “Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl,” one of the few (if not the only) narratives from a formally enslaved woman, while most known and celebrated narratives were written by men. With the receipt of Harriet’s letters, Ruth finds her words again and is able to begin the healing process, for herself and for her family.

This was truly such an incredible book that didn’t shy from tough topics but presents them in a way that doesn’t feel gratuitous and is also approachable for a teen audience, the intended audience. The gradual changes within Ruth are so incredible to witness and the strength she develops with Harriet’s words at her back is just…

Honestly, I have no words for this book beyond I loved it, it was unputdownable, and I think everyone should at least try reading it because it’s so powerful and important.