Loyal to the Sky: Notes from an Activist

In this memoir–cum–call to arms, Handler examines her literal and metaphorical journey from her South African childhood through her family's politically motivated move to America to her adult involvement in the global justice movement. From assisting Amazon Basin communities threatened by oil companies, to protesting at the 2004 Republican National Convention, Handler has put her values into action with tenacious creativity. She ably conveys the histories of places many people couldn't find on a map in a lively, moving and funny voice. Unfortunately, Handler is often self-involved—even for a memoirist—and too frequently leans on stereotype (the noble savage, the emotionally barren upper-class marriage), though she manages to regard herself with enough irony to mitigate her worst indulgences. The book's greatest weakness lies in Handler's decision to "condense or conflate" some of the "real people and events" she draws on, and occasionally to alter "the setting or timing of a revelation or personal experience." In the wake of the James Frey scandal, some readers may find it difficult to believe that many of the beautifully rendered vignettes here are not fiction. (Feb.)