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Reading with Patrick: A Teacher, a Student, and a Life-Changing Friendship

Michelle Kuo

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Mar 20, 2019 Louise rated it really liked it

Shelves: female-authors, special-interest, non-fiction, book-club, memoirs-for-sharing-read-to-read, united-states

This is a marvellous, engaging memoir with so much going for it that it would not be possible to cover all aspects of it in this short review.

The references to civil rights history, literature as a whole (with particular attention paid to the works of specific authors like James Baldwin, Leo Tolstoy and poets, Basho and Mary Oliver) were of particular interest to me. The background provided about the shortcomings of life for poor, black people in the Southern states of the USA was deeply alarmi This is a marvellous, engaging memoir with so much going for it that it would not be possible to cover all aspects of it in this short review.

The references to civil rights history, literature as a whole (with particular attention paid to the works of specific authors like James Baldwin, Leo Tolstoy and poets, Basho and Mary Oliver) were of particular interest to me. The background provided about the shortcomings of life for poor, black people in the Southern states of the USA was deeply alarming but unfortunately nothing new to me as I have read previously works such as Anthony Ray Hinton'sThe Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Rowand Bryan Stevenson's Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption, books which highlight, like Reading with Patrick the imperfect, completely unacceptable state of the justice system in many American states.

The relationship between the author and Patrick was so tenderly but realistically told and of course my desire to learn of Patrick's 'fate' was always at the front of mind.

The book explores the concept of ‘change’ and many questions came to my mind as I read:
Who is responsible for changing what is perceived as faulty/broken/corrupt/unattainable?
Who has the right to attempt to change the lives of others in any way they see fit?
What are the pitfalls for others when attempting to change others for ‘the better’? How can others be sure they know what ‘the better’ is?

The story underlines the fact that there are many people in the world who confront each day their inability to ‘change’ the past and more tellingly, the future. For Patrick and others like him there is only ever the present and what a soul-destroying existence it must be. As a convicted ‘felon’ Patrick lost not only his family but even the assurance of knowing much about the outside world - the weather, “was it raining?’ seasonal events, “Yesterday was Easter, was it Ms Kuo? Only reason I knew ‘cause yesterday they gave us some eggs. They usually give us plain grits.” p.235 and that in a flooded river “You canoe around the trees?” p239.

Although I believe that the word ‘inspirational’ is too often used to describe memoirs, in the case of Reading with Patrick I think it is eminently appropriate. I would also describe the book as hugely satisfying and one which will give you much to think about.

Highly recommended - 4.5 stars ...more

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