What Unites Us: The Graphic Novel

December 15, 2020
A graphic-history treatment of the newsman's collection of essays on patriotism. As the longtime anchor of the CBS Evening News and host of 48 Hours, Rather spent decades reporting the news as well as intoning pronouncements on the state of the nation, a role that his cartoon self fulfills here. In the full-page panel that ends the book--featuring the author walking through a billowing American flag--he proclaims, "I believe in a wide and expansive vision of our national destiny. And I believe in all of you to help make it a reality. Courage." It's difficult to figure out what to make of this graphic treatment, since it doesn't appear to be targeting a younger readership than the original volume of text, and the illustrations aren't as dynamic as one might expect from the publisher of Eddie Campbell, Jessica Abel, Gene Luen Yang, Joann Sfar, and others. Instead of the sweep of history carrying the narrator along, Rather is often just standing there, talking and observing. The most effectively illustrated passages are more personal, with young "Danny" coming of age in hardscrabble Texas in a family that imparted strong moral values. Yet his education has been a lifelong process, and he has grown to acknowledge the blinders of those times: how the history he learned was so heavily focused on White male achievements and how diversities of race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation were marginalized, even invisible. The author celebrates patriotism in the embrace of such diversity, and he remains relentlessly hopeful about the country he loves as a "land of wonder, awe, and optimism." However, he is also candid about our myriad divisions on education, environmentalism, social issues, and more. The six chapters have a scattershot quality, skipping around instead of developing the arguments that he built in the original essays. A surprisingly bland treatment from a passionate writer and American citizen.

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May 1, 2021

Gr 9 Up-This graphic novel adaptation of Rather's collection of essays analyzes the United States' current political climate through the broad lens of the news anchor's career. Divided into ideas such as courage, empathy, and community, the work explores how these concepts were relevant to building the American essence. Dressed in a long trench coat, Rather pops up on each page, weaving in and out of the historical narrative and offering commentary on the country's many successes and failures, from Black Americans' fight for voting rights in the 1960s to the press's failure to criticize the decision to pursue war in Iraq in 2001. Rather praises a democracy's need for open access to ideas and hails libraries and journalism as the cornerstone of a healthy democracy. He notes that reading results in education and that a free press encourages the exchange of ideas that break down harmful biases and dogmas. The adaptation is clunky at times, and panels are packed with text. While Rather's tone sways back and forth between didactic and endearing, his desire to see a fractured nation united rings true. Foley's pared-down line art allows the narrative to take center stage, and a palette of red, white, and blue highlights Rather's hopeful idealism. As a white male, Rather acknowledges his own learning and unlearning over the span of his career, and encourages Americans to move forward toward a more inclusive society. VERDICT Rather's firsthand accounts of moments like Watergate and the civil rights movement will appeal to readers interested in a nuanced look at recent U.S. history.-Elise Martinez, Racine, WI

Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from May 15, 2021
In the original What Unites Us (2017), deep-digging, truth-seeking, eloquently plainspoken, and trusted journalist Rather defines patriotism in clarion essays anchored to his own experiences. The book is propelled by his concerns over the erosion of our core democratic principles, from the right to vote to governmental checks and balances, bipartisanship, and a truly free and responsible press. "We are being tested," Rather tells us. In this superbly illustrated graphic adaptation, Rather, in suit and trench coat, speaks directly to us, eye-to-eye. We also see him as a boy in Texas, enthralled by nature and books, and as a young reporter covering the 1960s civil rights movement and other major events throughout the ensuing decades and around the world. This meticulously crafted volume distills Rather's masterfully composed essays without sacrificing thought-provoking details, while Foley's exacting artwork in a simple palette of red, white, blue, and black generates added nuance. The expressive portraits, spare yet vivid settings, and perfect pacing add dimension and emotion to Rather's stirring insights into the deep meanings of freedom, community, and responsibility. Everything is crystal-clear, genuine, and bracing as Rather calls for a unity of purpose for the common good and our active participation in protecting and bettering our precious democracy.

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