Reading with Patrick

A Teacher, a Student, and a Life-Changing Friendship

By: Michelle Kuo

Narrated by: Michelle Kuo

Finalist for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize

“In all of the literature addressing education, race, poverty, and criminal justice, there has been nothing quite like Reading with Patrick.” (The Atlantic)

A memoir of the life-changing friendship between an idealistic young teacher and her gifted student, jailed for murder in the Mississippi Delta

Recently graduated from Harvard University, Michelle Kuo arrived in the rural town of Helena, Arkansas, as a Teach for America volunteer, bursting with optimism and drive. But she soon encountered the jarring realities of life in one of the poorest counties in America, still disabled by the legacy of slavery and Jim Crow. In this stirring memoir, Kuo, the child of Taiwanese immigrants, shares the story of her complicated but rewarding mentorship of one student, Patrick Browning, and his remarkable literary and personal awakening.

Convinced she can make a difference in the lives of her teenage students, Michelle Kuo puts her heart into her work, using quiet reading time and guided writing to foster a sense of self in students left behind by a broken school system. Though Michelle loses some students to truancy and even gun violence, she is inspired by some, such as Patrick. Fifteen and in the eighth grade, Patrick begins to thrive under Michelle's exacting attention. However, after two years of teaching, Michelle feels pressure from her parents and the draw of opportunities outside the Delta and leaves Arkansas to attend law school.

Then, on the eve of her law-school graduation, Michelle learns that Patrick has been jailed for murder. Feeling that she left the Delta prematurely and determined to fix her mistake, Michelle returns to Helena and resumes Patrick's education - even as he sits in a jail cell awaiting trial. Every day for the next seven months, they pore over classic novels, poems, and works of history. Little by little Patrick grows into a confident, expressive writer and a dedicated reader galvanized by the works of Frederick Douglass, James Baldwin, Walt Whitman, W. S. Merwin, and others. In her time reading with Patrick, Michelle is herself transformed, contending with the legacy of racism and the questions of what constitutes a "good" life and what the privileged owe to those with bleaker prospects.

Reading with Patrick is an inspirational story of friendship, a coming-of-age story of both a young teacher and a student, a deeply resonant meditation on education, race, and justice in the rural South, and a love letter to literature and its power to transcend social barriers.

“A powerful meditation on how one person can affect the life of another.... One of the great strengths of Reading with Patrick is its portrayal of the risk inherent to teaching.” (The Seattle Times)

“[A] tender memoir.” (O: The Oprah Magazine)

©2017 Michelle Kuo (P)2017 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"Penetrating, haunting... In all of the literature addressing education, race, poverty, and criminal justice, there has been nothing quite like Reading with Patrick." (James Forman Jr. and Arthur Evenchik, The Atlantic)

"Honest, thoughtful, and humane, Kuo's book is not only a testament to a remarkable friendship, but a must-read for anyone interested in social justice and race in America. Thoughtfully provocative reading." (Kirkus Reviews)

"This memoir of teaching literature in one of the poorest counties in America is a reminder of how literacy changes lives. Highly recommended." (Library Journal)

Fantastic book with an upsetting reminder we have much to do

Michelle Kuo gives us personal a view into a frightening reality ... one that civil rights in America has not yet righted ... one we’d like to think didn’t exist. Haunting. Loved it. But it’s haunting me.

Strongly recommend this read.

Good telling of an inspiring true story

Michelle Kuo has a Harvard degree and defers law school for a year to join Teach For America and work in the Mississippi delta of Arkansas. She works in a poor school for kids (mostly black) who have failed in other schools. In this memoir, Kuo learns how to deal with these challenging students and begins to make a difference in their lives. Patrick is one of her great successes. Fast forward three years. Kuo is ready to graduate from law school when she hers that Patrick is changed with murder. She returns to the delta to help in any way she can. Visiting Patrick each day in jail, she resumes his aborted education. This is an incredibly inspiring story, filled with pain and joy. Kuo's telling of it is good, not great, but her story is so interesting that I would rate this a solid 4.5 stars. This stayed with me even after finishing. Kuo reads the book herself. While not polished, I liked her genuine voice. It might have been better with a professional, or maybe not. I liked this book a lot, regardless. I am a teacher, and found this story real and inspiring.

didn't love it; didn't hate it

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I might recommend the book, not the audible version.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

The narrator was my biggest problem. Her voice quality resonated with nasality and her delivery rate often had me on the out-of-control speeding train. Alas, I wanted to find out what happened in the end and I wanted to get there quickly, so I could discontinue hearing the nasal performance. However, reaching the end at the speed of light was not what I had in mind either...a rock and a hard place, to be sure!

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

no

Transcendence

This book moves the hearts and open the minds. Amid the daily noises and fog of fights, it clarifies where we stand in our struggles for true equality and justice.

a teacher's impact

Would you consider the audio edition of Reading with Patrick to be better than the print version?

I did not read the printed version

Who was your favorite character and why?

Patrick seemed real and his life experiences were like many young men in his situation. I don't know many other teachers that would have made the choices this teacher Kuo did.

What does Michelle Kuo bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

It was her story to tell and it was done with humbleness. Her voice added credence to the telling.

If you could give Reading with Patrick a new subtitle, what would it be?

Reciprocal impacts of student and teacher relationships(not a good title but tells the story)

Any additional comments?

It was important to have Kuo's story told in her own voice yet it was a difficult narration for me to connect with. I was slow to connect with the characters and the telling sometimes got in the way of the flow and connections for me. I am glad that I read it and look forward to discussions with others regarding the cultural and social implication of the story.

A great story. A reminder of what teaching is about

I have been for most of my adult life involves in education. For many years a teacher and then as an administrator of education programs. Ms. Kuo’s simple telling of this story touched me deeply. Reminding me of all that made teaching a passion when I was a young teacher. Her story telling of her life and Patrick’s reminding me of the relationship between subject, student, teacher and life that makes teaching an essential practice. For that I offer her and Patrick deep felt thanks. Then there is the other aspect of this book. The reckoning and description of race in the homeland of my family. An intimate portrait of a life I see dimly as if on the other side of a frosted window. The life of one who’s life is shaped by the lingering actions of my families distant past. Ms.Kuo’s description of her life and Patrick’s and the simple description of racism is profound.
Ms.Kuo’s writing is clean and direct. Accessible and moving. Read this book.

An Inspiring True Tale of the Power of Teaching

As a life long educator, I found Kuo's story profound and moving. It displays the bond that can form between a teacher and student, so both may grow and learn from each other. Some have criticized Kuo for her presentation, but I appreciate when authors narrate her/his own work.

Terrible narrator

The narrator on this book, the author, really ruined the book for me. Her voice was nasal and flat in tone, which completely ruined the listening experience. The story was fairly interesting, but not the "wow" factor I had been told by others. Maybe I would have had a different experience if I had read the book.

Why

I cannot figure out why this is regarded as a good book. The author tends to insert questions, her feelings, and her beliefs in the middle of all her stories. The chapters then are long, long, long.

I managed to listen to the author read but her voice grated on my nerves and some of the pronunciations of words drove me crazy.


Just my opinion, but I have read better books and I have listened to better narrators.