Fierce Fiction Inspired by Chanel Miller's "Know My Name"

Joy McCullough has been following in Laurie Halse Anderson's footsteps as a feminist force to be reckoned with, and she pulls no punches in the first few chapters of "We Are the Ashes, We Are the Fire." The story takes place in the REAL real world, referencing Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump, Chanel Miller, and other real-world current events and figures. There's quite a lot going on at the beginning, partly because the book begins at the end of a trial. The main character - Marianne (Em) Morales - accompanies her tight-knit family members to the verdict reading in the trial against her older sister's rapist. And while he may have been found guilty on all counts, the reader knows that - just as in Chanel Miller's case - the rapist may end up being sentenced to only time served. Em struggles to move on from the sentencing, feeling like all of her work, hope, and activism has been flushed down the drain. It's a powerful jumping off point for a work full of righteous anger and truthful rage, but I'm curious to see what happens next. Miller's book is so good that it may be helpful to just give "Know My Name" to older teens, but McCullough's narrative may be a suitable stepping stone for 8th & 9th graders. Interested to see how the poetry plays out in the rest of the book.