Under Her Skin: How Girls Experience Race in America

Pooja Makhijanis Under Her Skin is an excellent non-fiction look at the complex way girls experience race in America. With short essays from women from all walks of life and all different races, this is a stunning and thought-provoking book.

I dont know if I could think of a better book to keep in a classroom, especially in todays high schools. Race is a card often played, rarely understood, and hotly contested. The raw truth and honesty in the stories in Under Her Skin will get to just about anyone and everyone no matter what race they consider themselves to be will find something to identify with.

After all, weve all felt left out, right? Weve all had moments of doubt, of disbelief, of confusion.

For me, the stories from Asians were particularly poignant being half-Chinese and having lived for a brief time in Mississippi (where our family was the only remotely ethnic family for three counties), I can definitely relate. Perhaps those middle states in the U.S. are the places where this book would be most useful.

Recommended for readers of all ages, especially women, but also anyone searching for a little truth in their life. Definitely recommended for classroom useuse the stories together or singly.