Zoe Washington is on a Mission to Seek Out the Truth
“Intensely relevant.” - Nic Stone
In honor of all the beautiful Father’s Day post I have a middle grade book suggestion for you. I highly recommend reading, From the Desk of Zoe Washington, by debut author Janae Marks. I first heard of this book on the IGTV Debut Who series interview hosted by Nic Stone and Dhonielle Clayton.
A number of things drew me to want to read this book. First, this cover is so cute! I instantly saw my younger self. I was always writing and who doesn’t love cupcakes! Next, mixing the development of a Father/Daughter relationship with a mystery focused on proving her Father’s innocence! It also t took me back to remember how much I enjoyed mystery stories as a child. I watched Harriet the Spy a million times, I read Nancy Drew books, and remember the engaging choose your own adventure books. I felt so many connections when hearing about this book, and right now, reading middle grade is a much needed escape.
Author Janae Marks’ goal was to write a story about a kid and her Dad who is in prison. She accomplished that goal and so much more! Inspired by the stories she heard on Serial an investigative journalism podcast. Marks noted how the focus is usually on the accused, but what about the family? She then began to learn about the Innocence Project, a non-profit organization that focuses on exonerating the wrongly convicted through DNA testing.
This Father’s Day, the Innocence Project sent an email sharing the story of Daranika Guitroz who enjoyed the first Father's Day she was able to finally spend with her dad in more than a decade. When she was only eight-years-old, he was convicted for a crime he didn’t commit and spent nearly 16 years behind bars! (Learn more about the current Go-Fund for this family by checking out the link above.)
“Did you know? More than 4 in 10 fathers in state or federal prisons were Black. Also, Black children were seven and a half times more likely than white children to have a parent in prison.”
Zoe Washington is just a Black girl in Boston, who loves baking, hanging out with her best friends, and aspires to be a contestant on the Kid’s Bake Challenge. The reader quickly learns that Zoe was also a child like more than 2 million other children in America - she had a parent who was incarcerated.
Her Father Marcus went to prison before Zoe was born. Her Mother decided it was best to not allow Marcus to communicate with Zoe. Her daughter would be raised by another man, she’d call Dad.
However, her Grandmother made sure she at least knows what Marcus looked like and gave her a picture to hold on to. Throughout the book her Grandmother is a continued source of knowledge for her big life questions, and an important part of her support system.
Marcus was clearly determined to let his little Tomato know he was always thinking of her. On her 12th birthday, she excitedly opens the mail looking for a card from her Aunt, but instead finds a letter addressed to her from Marcus. Here begins Zoe’s new journey. She immediately knows she has to keep this letter a secret. It won’t be the only one.
Zoe learns to challenge her own thinking about a person convicted of a crime. Her eyes are open to different perspectives and she witnesses the ugly truths of the criminal justice system for Black Americans. She learns about terms like bias and alibi. However, being a young Black child Zoe isn’t completely removed from experiences of racism. She mentions a couple moments she experienced while out with her Mom and another while out with her Dad.
The story also shows the work it takes to prove one's innocence. Marcus was at the point of exhaustion with what it would take to keep fighting, so at the time Zoe responded to her Father’s letter, getting out wasn’t on his focus as much as surviving and building a bond with his only child.
Reading this book as an adult it brings to mind, how much independence and privacy should a twelve-year-old have? How much do they need to be protected from the truth and from topics that aren’t easy to discuss. How much are their abilities to cope, and adapt downplayed?
Zoe deals with a number of ups-and-downs with her best friend, her Mother, and her Grandmother. These experiences truly show her growth paired with trying to prove her Father’s innocence. Her courage, her amazing research skills, and ability to speak up for what she believes in really shines through. It’s a reminder to not doubt what the future generation is capable of especially with the world at their fingertips!
Janae Marks also mentioned watching the 13th documentary by Ava DuVernay as she began her research. This documentary is described as an in-depth look at the prison system in the United States and how it reveals the nation's history of racial inequality. In a 2016 NPR interview Ava stated, “You can have a more deeply rooted and nuanced knowledge of the fact that, you know, every person who is in prison is not a criminal, that all crimes are not created equal, that all sentences are not equal.” This is exactly what Zoe’s journey looks like. When she receives the first letter she refers to her Father as her convict father. Over time she begins to gain more knowledge helping her re-evaluate her original views of her Father.
“Did you know? 40 percent of all incarcerated parents were African-American fathers. ”
This book is absolutely amazing. Janae Marks shows us a character who has to balance a number of life experiences as a young child which I believe is true for Black children. She infuses music, and beautiful scenes of joy through baking, cooking with family, and finally a dance scene filled with hope for the future. We could all use a little hope right now as daily we are reminded of the constant struggle to remain alive as a Black person in America. There are so many obstacles we face to just be, to just breathe, to just exist. Not only are we fighting, but children like Zoe are fighting too. Our children are thrown into the spotlight they never asked for. To discuss the loss of their Father’s on TV. For all to consume, their smiles and their tears.
I’ll leave you with this line from the book to consider, as we continue to fight injustices against Black Americans. “It was awful; when you looked up a person, you were supposed to see stories about their life, not their terrible death.” As Black death continues to be shared on social media, how important is it that we share stories about their lives as well. Not just reliving the moment they became an ancestor.
