#VelshiBannedBookClub: ‘Out of Darkness’ with Ashley Hope Pérez

"Out of Darkness" -- today's feature for the #VelshiBannedBookClub -- could be categorized in several ways. It’s a tragic interracial love story. It’s an honest and brutal look at racism in the 1930s. And it examines the painful realities of objectifying women. It’s also historical fiction – set against a real-life tragedy -- the New London School explosion. In 1937, a natural gas leak destroyed the entire Texas school – killing nearly 300 students and teachers. But the blast is only one of the book’s horrors – and not the only one that stays with you after you close the cover. “Out of Darkness” is not an easy read or appropriate for every reader. It is brutal and searing. But -- challenging subject matter, emotional writing, and gruesome events do not a banned book make. Assuming you’re of an advanced reading level and emotionally equipped for “Out of Darkness” you stand to learn a great deal from it. This book harnesses the power of discomfort we have talked so much about as a book club.