Stolen Justice: The Struggle for African American Voting Rights, written by Lawrence Goldstone, reviewed by Bethany Bratney

Summary:  Stolen Justice is a rich and complex history about the roadblocks and limitations imposed upon African Americans as they tried, often in vain, to pursue their right to vote. Many historical examples of Jim Crow laws, racist practices and corrupt politicians are included in this volume, some familiar and some lesser known. The chapters are short and include frequent photographs and primary source artifacts to illustrate the evidence being presented by Goldstone. Extensive back matter, including a glossary, bibliography, source notes, image credits, and index that measure a combined 35 pages support the well-researched text.

Straight Talk for Librarians: 

While the details are impeccably included and the topic could not be more relevant, Stolen Justice falls a bit short for its audience. It includes incredible detail and information but frequently fails to offer any emphasis on a unifying narrative or provide modern context for the importance of these issues. Though it is appropriate for both middle school and high school readers in content and scope, most tween and teen readers will find this book either too challenging or too boring to complete. It would be an excellent reference source for students digging deeper into African American voting rights for a research project, but it is unlikely to leave the shelves for long otherwise. Worthy of a spot on the shelf if you already own it, but probably not worth precious budget dollars if you don’t.