ENCOUNTERS WITH JAMES BALDWIN

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this.

This is a book that I might never had heard of nor picked up if it wasn’t for the exposure from NetGalley. And it would have been such a shame if I had missed this book. Having only read one book so far (Giovanni’s Room) and only having known bits and pieces of Baldwin’s life this was such a treasure trove of information.

Maybe, if you are already very familiar with Baldwin, this won’t be as eye-opening as it was for me.

That doesn’t mean, however, that this book isn’t worth a read.

So many different people in this book comment on Baldwin and what he meant and still means to them. Both in a context of the past and the present. What most of the stories have in common is that Baldwin (either in person or through his works) found them at a younger age; at a library, café or through someone they care about and has never left them.

James Arthur Baldwin (or King James as he was referred to in one of the stories) has left a huge legacy behind for many more generations to be inspired by and this collection proves it.