★ “A powerful illustrated memoir of one of the Central Park Five, who were exonerated in 2002… Readers will feel anger, heartbreak, and hope as they witness Santana transition from a fun-loving teen to wronged prisoner and artistic entrepreneur… This touching, heartrending work will inspire young people to action. With so many curricular tie-ins and as a powerful choice for aspiring activists and artists, and striving readers, this is a must-purchase for all collections.”—School Library Journal, starred review
“This account by one of the Exonerated Five is an inspiring story of one man’s fight against institutional racism… It shows the ways racial profiling, entrenched within American society, has life-altering consequences for people of color (Santana’s father came from Puerto Rico, and his mother was Afro-Latina). The text is succinct and punchy, printed in large, bold, colorful type. Brown’s dynamic art, which often covers wordless two-page spreads, transports readers to 1980s Harlem (shown as a place filled with art and music), through gut-wrenching prison scenes, and into Santana’s rocky transition to a new life as a fashion designer and activist. Despite the suffering he endured as a boy and young man, the book’s overall tone is one of optimism. A searing critique of the justice system with a narrative arc that turns despair into hope.”—Kirkus Reviews
“Based on recorded interviews with Raymond Santana, one of the Exonerated Five, this illustrated memoir—an important firsthand account that opens on the subject’s move to Harlem in 1989 at age 14—chronicles his wrongful imprisonment and the events leading to his present-day activism and entrepreneurship. Santana’s accessible and conversational text, accompanied by vivid, immediate-feeling mixed-media illustrations by Brown immerses readers in the figure’s emotional experiences.”—Publishers Weekly
“This illustrated retelling of the true events that unfolded in New York City in 1989 allows Raymond Santana to finally provide his side of the story… This heartbreaking yet important story brings history to life and will leave readers inspired to fight injustice and wrongful incarceration.”—Booklist
“In this illustrated memoir, Santana recounts the events of April 19, his experience with an unfair justice system, and his life after he was released and exonerated. It would be understandable if Raymond gave into despair: his mother dies while Raymond is in prison, he’s completely adrift after he’s released, and the media attention on the ‘Central Park Five’ portrays him as a violent monster. Instead of hopelessness, however, he finds joy in his art and fashion design, skills he hones in prison and eventually uses to build his own clothing line… direct and approachable, rife with a range of emotions, from panicked fear to hesitant joy to passionate determination. Brown’s mixed-media art has a sketchy, vibrant style and skillfully plays with perspective to draw maximum emotional impact: in an especially moving parallel, the reader stands behind Raymond in an early scene as he gazes hopefully toward his new home and again later as he dejectedly looks at prison bars, placing the reader directly in his position.” —Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
“In this unique and powerful young adult memoir, Raymond Santana, one of the Exonerated Five, shares how being convicted of a crime he didn’t commit has shaped his life… After serving time in prison and finally being exonerated, Raymond has to navigate his new adult world, wrestle with the long-lasting effects of his conviction, and find new ways to make art and deliver his message of hope and perseverance to young people. Pushing Hope’s colorful, eye-catching design centers Santana’s strong narrative voice alongside stunning artwork by Keith Henry Brown.”—Lit Hub
“Thoroughly moving and inspiring.”—The Conscious Kid
“This is what justice looks like. We are told we live in an age of few if any heroes, but Raymond Santana is a real genuine hero. His story is one of unbelievable courage in the face of rampant injustice and impressive resilience as he maintains his dignity and in the face of obstacles that would destroy many of us. Bravo!” —Ken Burns, filmmaker
“Excellent….readers will get to know Raymond Santana, one of the wrongfully accused Central Park Five.” —BookRiot
“As [Raymond Santana] finds his way in a new neighborhood and new school with a totally new vibe, his art helps him adjust… He takes the reader through the Central Park jogger case and the injustices that were heaped upon him and his fellow co-defendants. He keeps his story rooted in his art. How the events in his life affected that art and how his art ultimately saved him… The art is bold and powerful and just as full of joy and hope as the words themselves.”—Carroll County Library, Maryland
QUICK VIEW
