This is an important book that I think should be required reading in high schools. It looks at the importance of reparations in a way I had never seen. As a white woman, I realize now more than ever that my privilege has kept me from acknowledging the depth of pain and continued discrimination that our citizens inflict on the ancestors of enslaved people. This includes through benefiting from enforced labor and segregating or discriminating minorities. I felt that Tamara Lanier really guided the reader through her process and helped unfold each discovery in such a way that the reader continues to learn and grow along with her.

I have a new understanding of ancestry, oral history, and family's rights to important historical documents. I also had to really confront my own biases and recognize the importance of believing victims and being willing to listen to new information when introduced to something that challenged my beliefs.