From Publishers WeeklyNewsweek contributing editor Cose (The Envy of the World) examines a broad spectrum of responses to the pain and trauma of personal violence as well as national tragedy. He visits American families victimized by crime and the World Trade Center attacks, consults a range of literature (e.g., Bernhard Schlink's The Reader and Laura Blumenfeld's Revenge) and travels around the world to see how ruptured societies cope with past human rights violations. While Cose meets several victims who agree that forgiveness helps them cope, he acknowledges that, for some, the return of normalcy and security remains a first priority. And forgiveness is not always forthcoming; Cose finds those molested by priests can forgive the molestor more easily than they can those who didn't stop him. While Cose acknowledges that some relatives and friends of homicide victims feel relief at the murder's execution, he's more inspired by those who transform wrath into "something more ennobling." He concludes that the truth and reconciliation commissions in South Africa and Peru provided more of the former than the latter; a Peruvian tells him that reconciliation must be rooted in fundamental change that has so far not been forthcoming in that country. Cose looks at reparations cases from Maori in New Zealand to Japanese-Americans interned in the U.S. during WWII. He contrasts the response to 1920s mob attacks on blacks in Tulsa, Okla., and Rosewood, Fla.; in Rosewood, unlike Tulsa, officials have supported restitution. As for reparations for American slavery (a book in itself), Cose acknowledges that the case can't be won in court, but makes it clear that the issue is still hovering and doing damage. The scope forces Cose to touch lightly and then move on, but the book gives readers a substantial nudge toward exploring the lessons of recent history. Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.From BooklistCose, author of Envy of the World (2002), covers substantial geographic and emotional territory in exploring the quest of victims--both individuals and groups--to face their past suffering, the perpetrators, and the desire to move beyond their suffering. Cose weaves a tapestry of stories of individuals victimized by child abuse, incest, and random murders of loved ones, and their impulses for justice, revenge, and retribution, with stories of victims of national or ethnic violence seeking justice and reconciliation through the numerous truth commissions modeled after South Africa's experience. Victims seek acknowledgment as much as reparations. Cose is most poignant at interweaving successful efforts at reparations by victims of the Jewish Holocaust and Japanese internment in the U.S. against unsuccessful efforts by black victims of the assaults and destruction of Rosewood, Florida, and Tulsa, Oklahoma. Cose places these American atrocities within a broader context that exposes our own vulnerabilities and reluctance to face ugly truths, mainly that disclosure and recognition of wrongdoing are crucial before forgiveness and reconciliation can occur, and for the sake of internal peace. Vernon FordCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved Peter D. Bell President and CEO of CARE USA Ellis Cose explores complex, painful, yet crucial issues of historical memory. Without succumbing to easy answers, he seeks resolutions that will break us free from the shackles of hate, fear and shame. Cose points toward a more just and harmonious world.James Hoge Editor of Foreign Affairs magazine Atrocities by individuals and by states occur with dismaying frequency, leaving in their wake abiding memories of wounds that cripple lives and whole societies. How to disarm those memories and thereby find peace and, where possible, reconciliation is the moving theme of this powerful and insightful study of man's inhumanity to man.Anthony D. Romero Executive Director of the American Civil Liberties Union Bone to Pick provides an eloquent and engaging analysis of the process of forgiveness and reconciliation that is central to the human experience. Cose analyzes Jim Crow racism, apartheid, sexual abuse, the caste system, and genocide -- drawing conclusions about hurt, forgiveness, revenge, and reconciliation that are as relevant for individuals as for entire societies. The well-researched and poignant examples elucidate how our past is intimately connected to our future, and Cose pays tribute to the indefatigable perseverance of the human spirit. what classifies as a book Bone to Pick: Of Forgiveness, Reconciliation, Reparation, and Revenge
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful. bone to pickBy Anita J. JacobsonBone to Pick: Of forgiveness, reconiliation, reparation, and revenge was a book I was emotionally totally unprepared to read. The examples Ellis Cose showed made me revisit why I am so unwilling to forgive my own father. All of the atrocities Mr. Cose wrote about were horrendous and the people that allowed themselves to forgive the perpetrators of their deep anguish touched me in a way I never thought possible. This book is one EVERYONE who hates, wants dead, despises anyone who has harmed them needs to read. It just might lighten your load.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. EnlighteningBy Cordell W. RileyProvocatively examines the components of the topic causing the reader to abandon preconceived notions, reexamine them and, quite possibly, have them shifted.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy John Chamberlinexcellent read