by Writing Barn Intern Macy Lane
According to PEN America, Texas holds the dubious distinction of having the most banned books in our nation. As a parent, former teacher, writer, and citizen of Texas, my personal feelings about the notion of banning books runs deep.
To further explore and understand the idea of book banning, I recently read Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Pérez, an historical fiction novel set in 1930s East Texas. Out of Darkness ranks 9th on the American Library Association’s list of the Top 13 Most Challenged Books of 2022. It received 50 challenges, primarily for depictions of abuse and claims of sexually explicit content.
About the Book
Centered around a small East Texas community, the novel retells the story of the New London school bombing due to a natural gas leak. While this event marks the third deadliest disaster in Texas, killing more than 300 students and teachers, I had never heard of it before reading this book. Ashley Hope Pérez used this tragedy as the backdrop for an ill-fated love story that is as catastrophic as the explosion itself.
The narrative weaves past events with the present in a way that peels back a deeper understanding of each character’s motives and experiences. Despite this, I still felt it difficult to reach a true connection with the main characters, Naomi and Wash. Instead, I was drawn to Naomi’s sensitive, empathetic brother Beto. The primary antagonist, Henry, will inevitably leave the reader with distaste and a sense of disappointment that is pervasive.
Initial Thoughts
Before I began, I intentionally avoided reading anything about why this novel made it onto banned book lists. I wanted to see for myself what might have sparked the desire in others for it to be removed from school library shelves.
Immediately, I recognized that Out of Darkness explores the topic of racism from multiple points of view. The main characters are African American, Hispanic, and white. The dynamics between each and all of these cultures are complicated and profound, oftentimes punctuated by offensive, overt, and even violent abuse. While uncomfortable to read with the knowledge that these interactions are based in truth, I believe we must face these harsh realities and work to move forward rather than avoid or hide from them.
The relationship between Naomi and Wash does include depictions of sexual awareness and desire, which at times feels awkward to read if you aren’t fully connected to the character. However, Hope Pérez portrays their explorations in a seemingly age-appropriate manner, which some may not like, but is grounded in truth.
Peripheral characters (the Gang) also share somewhat graphic sexual desires that are misogynistic and hateful towards females, but again Hope Pérez limits these to minimal, isolated portions of the book. While offensive, including these, adds to the readers’ understanding of the racist and sexist attitudes of the times.
There are instances of offensive language throughout the book, but never did I feel as if it detracted from the higher message being shared.
Common Sense Media’s review of Out of Darkness provides a concise explanation of the book’s potentially sensitive content and includes guiding questions that can be used when speaking to young adult readers.
Final Thoughts
After reading Out of Darkness, my stance remains unchanged. While it may be difficult to have humankind’s flaws spelled out on the pages of a book, we cannot afford to turn from the truths of our past, which sadly continue to represent many of the truths of today.
Additionally, the decision for my children to have the right and privilege to read a book such as Out of Darkness lies solely in my hands as their parent and caregiver. No school administration, other adults, or politician should have the ability to make that determination for me and my child.
We must continue to stand up for our inherent rights as citizens of the United States to have the ability to share our ideas and words with the world. There is no place for censorship such as this in our society.
Let’s use our collective power to speak up for the voices of others from our past, our present, and our future.
About the Author
Macy Lane is a lifelong reader and writer currently residing in Austin, TX. Words have always been magical to her and an author’s right to share those with the world is a fundamental belief that she holds. In time, she hopes to share her own stories with others. She plans to do this from the school bus (a skoolie named Birdie) she and her husband are converting into a tiny home so they can travel across the country!