We Are the Scribes - by Randi Pink (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

A young adult novel by Randi Pink about a teenage activist who is visited by the ghost of Harriet Jacobs, an enslaved woman.

Ruth Fitz is surrounded by activism. Her mother is a senator who frequently appears on CNN as a powerful Black voice fighting for legislative social change within the Black community. Her father, a professor of African American history, is a walking encyclopedia, spouting off random dates and events. And her beloved older sister, Virginia, is a natural activist, steadily gaining notoriety within the community and on social media. Ruth, on the other hand, would rather sit quietly reading or writing in her journal.

When her family is rocked by tragedy, Ruth stops writing. As life goes on, Ruth's mother is presented with a political opportunity she can't refuse. Just as Senator Fitz is more absent, Ruth begins receiving parchment letters with a seal reading WE ARE THE SCRIBES, sent by Harriet Jacobs, the author of the autobiography and 1861 American classic, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl.

Is Ruth dreaming? How has she been chosen as a "scribe" when she can barely put a sentence together? In a narrative that blends present with past, Randi Pink explores two extraordinary characters who channel their hopelessness and find their voices to make history.

Review Quotes

"A heartbreaking and inspiring insight into the mechanics behind different forms of activism. " --BCCB

"A Black 16-year-old is spurred to action amid present-day political unrest when she's visited by the ghost of an enslaved woman from the 1900s in this affecting novel ...Pink mindfully ruminates on the healing and lifesaving power of words, expertly highlighting Harriet's experiences, as told in her autobiography, to reflect on Ruth's tumultuous present." --Publishers Weekly

"This beautifully written book touches on so many issues, both political and familial... highly -recommended for all collections." --School Library Journal

About the Author