Nevertheless, We Persisted: 48 Voices of Defiance, Strength, and Courage

As Amy Klobuchar, Minnesota’s first female senator, notes in a foreword, the title of this candid anthology is a riff on the derision turned rallying cry aimed at Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren. The contributors—representing a spectrum of ages, ethnicities, and experiences—share their stories through formats that range from comics to prose. They write of finding the strength and tools to battle such obstacles as gender and racial discrimination, self-doubt, physical challenges, and bullying. Fanny Starr, a 96-year-old Holocaust survivor, unflinchingly describes the atrocities she witnessed at Auschwitz; Danielle Vabner explains how the loss of her six-year-old brother to the Sandy Hook, Conn., shooting inspired her advocacy for gun violence prevention; and José Antonio Tijerino, president of the Hispanic Heritage Foundation, movingly details his experience immigrating to America. Readers encountering injustice in their own lives may be compelled to take heart—and even action. Ages 12–up. [em](Sept.) [/em]