the assignment book real story

Liza Wiemer

Award-winning author, educator, and public speaker.

• The Story Behind THE ASSIGNMENT
• THE ASSIGNMENT – Curriculum Guides and Teacher Info
• Out and About: A Tale of Giving
• Life Imitates Art
• Visit HELLO? Sites
• Contributor to Small Miracles from Beyond
• Contributor to Small Miracles of the Holocaust
• Waiting for Peace
• Extraordinary Guidance
• Author Visits
• Curriculum Guides

The Assignment

OPTIONED FOR FILM: Screenplay Completed

In the vein of the classic the wave and inspired by a real-life incident, this riveting novel explores discrimination and antisemitism and reveals their dangerous impact., 2024 lincoln award nominee 2022/2023 georgia book award nominee free little library “read in color” recommended read tayshas recommended read (texas library association) state of illinois “read for a lifetime” book a bank street college of education best book of the year 2022 sakura medal award nominee sydney taylor book award notable for young adults wisconsin state reading association recommended young adult novel nerdy book club best ya fiction novel yalsa/ala best fiction for young adults nominee milwaukee county teen honor book, on sale now.

Signed Copies from Boswell Books

Book Depository

Barnes and Noble

Apple Books

Hudson Booksellers

Books-a-Million

Bookshop.org

Available to speak for book clubs, schools, organizations, TV, and radio.

SENIOR YEAR. When an assignment given by a favorite teacher instructs a group of students to argue for the Final Solution, a euphemism used to describe the Nazi plan for the genocide of the Jewish people, Logan March and Cade Crawford are horrified. Their teacher cannot seriously expect anyone to complete an assignment that fuels intolerance and discrimination. Logan and Cade decide they must take a stand.

As the school administration addresses the teens’ refusal to participate in the appalling debate, the student body, their parents, and the larger community are forced to face the issue as well. The situation explodes, and acrimony and anger result. What does it take for tolerance, justice, and love to prevail?

Based on a true incident.

The Assignment has been compared to classics such as The Wave and The Hate U Give .

The Assignment hardcover (Delacorte Press, a division of Penguin Random House) and the all-star cast audiobook (Listening Library) were published on August 25, 2020. The paperback edition was published by Ember on August 31, 2021.

To date, foreign rights have sold in Italian, Russian, Polish, and Korean.

Praise for The Assignment

• Circle of Nine - Beltany
• Circle of Nine Novellas
• Circle of Nine - Sacred Treasures
• Rainforest Rescue
• Event Calendar
• Circle Of Nine Series

Review of "The Assignment" and Interview with Author Liza Wiemer

I had been looking forward to reading Liza Wiemer’s The Assignment as soon as I heard a description. Based on a true story, Wiemer’s novel follows two teens who refuse to do an antisemitic assignment given in history class—one in which they’re expected to argue FOR the Nazi Final Solution and the murder of millions of Jewish people. Wiemer deftly handles this tough topic, creating two main characters, Cade and Logan, who are both fun and funny, witty and endearing, and just regular teens with regular teen problems on top of the huge challenge at the center of the novel. You’ll sink into the story as if you’re eavesdropping on their conversations. Wiemer’s dialogue writing is just that good! Standing up for the right thing should be easy, but somehow it never is—and the finely crafted plot brings us unexpected challenges and a surprising, poignant twist. This is an important modern-day story about intolerance and racism that every teen and adult should read and DISCUSS. I am going to be thinking about this book for a long time and take the liberty to quote the question on the cover. “Would YOU speak up for what is right?”

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Senior year. when an assignment given by a favorite teacher instructs a group of students to argue for the final solution, a euphemism used to describe the nazi plan for the genocide of the jewish people, logan march and cade crawford are horrified. their teacher cannot seriously expect anyone to complete an assignment that fuels intolerance and discrimination. logan and cade decide they must take a stand., as the school administration addressed the teens' refusal to participate in the appalling debate, the student body, their parents, and the larger community are forced to face the issue as well. the situation explodes, and acrimony and anger result. what does it take for tolerance, justice, and love to prevail.

Purchase from Boswell Books

Purchase from Amazon

I’m so pleased Liza Wiemer has taken time out of her busy schedule to talk with us today. (Liza previously hung out with us when I reviewed her debut YA novel Hello? --read that post here. )

The Assignmen t is set to release on Monday, August 25. You’ve gotten some excellent reviews in the publishing world. School Library Journal’s review calls The Assignment “An important look at a critical moment in history through a modern lens showcasing the power of student activism.” And Kirkus says it’s “an important plot-driven story about two teens who stand up for what’s right in the face of adversity.” Wow. You have to be so excited!

These online events are open to anyone who registers to attend.

Monday, August 24, 6 pm CDT - Teens Speak Up Against Injustice: The Story Behind “The Assignment”

Online and in school, our students are inundated with situations that force them to make hard decisions and to confront situations that might alienate them from their peers. Join this conversation about real-life events, difficult choices and how ordinary teens can have the power to amaze and inspire us.

Sign up here: https://www.aju.edu/byachad-together/events/Teens-Speak-Up-Against-Injustice-The-Story-Behind-“The-Assignment”-

Tuesday, August 25, 7 pm CDT - Book Launch   at Boswell Book Company (virtual event)

Liza Wiemer, author of THE ASSIGNMENT discusses her latest novel, inspired by a real-life incident, which explores the dangerous impact of discrimination and antisemitism. Kirkus Reviews call The Assignment "an important plot-driven story about two teens who stand up for what's right in the face of adversity." This launch event will feature Wiemer in conversation with Boswell Book Company's Jenny Chou. Cosponsored by the Harry and Rose Samson Family Jewish Community Center.

To learn more or sign up:   http://lizawiemer.com/boswell/

Q. I know your novel was inspired by a true story. Can you tell us a little bit about Archer and Jordan and their story?

A. Archer Shurtliff and Jordan April, both 17 at the time they received the assignment that helped to inspire this novel, attended separate upstate New York high schools and met at an education program titled, “Principles of Literary Representation.” They received an assignment that inspired the one I created for my novel. To learn more about the one the received, read this article: “ CNY students upset after being asked to defend Nazis, Holocaust for homework. ” Both students felt that the assignment was reprehensible and promoted hate. When they spoke up against it, they were able to choose an alternative assignment. Afterward, they continued the fight against the assignment. They contacted a reporter and also the Anti-Defamation League—an organization with a mission “to stop the defamation of the Jewish people, and to secure justice and fair treatment of all.” The teens extra actions and their deep commitment led to the promise that the assignment would never be given again. Over seventy students received the assignment, but only Jordan and Archer had the courage to speak out against it. One other student refused to do the assignment, choosing the alternative. Without a doubt, Archer and Jordon exemplify what it means to be upstanders instead of bystanders.

Q. Would you let us in on your novel’s journey? How long did it take to write? Did you have any setbacks with the progress? How did it find a home with Delacorte Press? (Phew – that’s a lot of questions!)

A. The journey to write this novel has what I would call a miraculous set of circumstances. More details can be found on my website: The Story Behind THE ASSIGNMENT . After I met Jordan in person at River’s End Bookstore in Oswego, NY, and talking with Archer on April 4, 2017, I ended up writing an article about the assignment and the experience. When I returned home, an author friend, Clara Kensie, declared that I had to write a novel about this, stating, “You were born to do this.”

I began doing extensive research in May 2017, returned to Oswego in July. Originally, I had written this book in third person omniscient so that I could highlight many different perspectives and show many different angles. When three agents told me that I had to write this in first person, I paid attention and started over. In September 2018, I was offered representation from Steven Chudney. After some revisions, he put it out on submission and within a few weeks we had an offer from Beverly Horowitz, Publisher and Senior Vice President of Delacorte Press.

Q. You’ve described being the target of antisemitism throughout your life. How did you feel taking on this tough topic when it is, in part, personal to you? I imagine that some scenes were very difficult to write.

A. Without a doubt, those experiences left a mark and I knew that I would often hide my Jewish identity from the outside world because I was afraid to become a target of hate. Writing this book brought them all to the surface and I had to confront the impact. Fear is powerful and can lead you to silence. But there were also many times where I would speak up. That was never easy, and those moments also left a mark. I drew upon all of those experiences to write this novel.

Q. Now, I’m going to be very careful here to not give anything away because I hate it when there are spoilers, but I’m dying to know if the big twist in the story was something you had in mind all along or if it came to you as you were writing?

A. Great question. It was actually something I had wanted to write about for many years and had considered including in my first young adult novel, Hello?. Actually, it was a part of an early draft. I had to cut it. Still, that storyline was important to me and it was perfect for The Assignment.

Q. You know how much I loved Hello? and now I’m a huge fan of The Assignment, too! Clearly, the world needs more of your writing. Are your next projects likely to be young adult novels or do you think you might ever switch genres. (And if you don’t think it is too impertinent during your launch week to ask . . . are you working on anything new right now?)

A. I actually revised a picture book that I had completed over twenty years ago. It needed updating. I also had to learn more about writing picture books. Revising it was a fun process and I’m really glad I pursed that. I have one idea for a young adult novel that my agent and editor like, but I’ve been struggling with it. Part of the reason is that we live in a different world now. Covid has changed everything and the place I had envisioned was based on a pre-Covid world. I’ll have to see what happens and whether or not I’ll find the inspiration to delve into it.

Q. Is there anything else you’d like to add?

A. Thank you so much for having me on your blog and I’m so grateful that SCBWI-Wisconsin has brought us together!

I am so grateful SCBWI-Wisconsin brought us together, too! 

Here’s where you can find Liza online:

Website: http://lizawiemer.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/liza.wiemer

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lizamwiemer/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LizaWiemer

Thanks so much, Liza! I know this week is crazy busy for you. Good luck with your launch!

And, to everyone reading this interview, you need to buy Liza’s book today—right now! Everyone needs to read this book!

To learn more about Liza's first book Hello? , click on the book cover below. 

Add new comment

Submitted by Sandy Brehl (not verified) on August 21, 2020 - 11:20am

I've read this book, and love it. The interview with Liza makes me even more eager to Attend her virtual launch party next week, hosted by Boswell Books. Thanks for this excellent spotlight on a book that is bound to become a longtime classic.

Submitted by valeriebiel on August 21, 2020 - 11:56am

Thanks, Sandy!! I agree that it will become classic! -- Val

More information about text formats

Filtered HTML

• Web page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links automatically.
• Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
• No HTML tags allowed.

Affiliate Links

Please know that I only recommend books or writing-related products that I feel are worthy of your time! Some of the links included in my posts are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you I will earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.

About the Author

Valerie Biel’s debut novel Circle of Nine - Beltany  has been honored as a 2015 Kindle Book Award Finalist, a finalist in the Gotham Writers' YA Novel Discovery Contest and the Readers' Favorite Book Award Contest as well as being a B.R.A.G. Medallion Honoree. The final installment in this series - Circle of Nine - Sacred Treasures -  has also received a B.R.A.G. Medallion and was short listed for the Eric Hoffer Book Award grand prize, earning the First Runner-Up distinction in the YA category. 

Recent Posts

Publishing advice.

The Creative Penn

David Gaughran

Jane Friedman

Nathan Bransford

Kidlit - Mary Cole

Kristen Lamb

K indlepreneur/Dave Chesson

Query Shark

Cool Mom Picks

The Book Monsters

Always in the Middle

Middle Grade Mafioso

YA Bibliophile

Kid Literati

Other Favorites

Humans of New York

Silvia Acevedo

Amanda Zieba

Angie Stanton

Sarah J. Carlson

Liza Wiemer

Barbara Britton

Karla Manternach

Gayle Rosengren

Authors & Events

Recommendations

• New & Noteworthy
• Bestsellers
• Popular Series
• The Must-Read Books of 2023
• Popular Books in Spanish
• Coming Soon
• Literary Fiction
• Mystery & Thriller
• Science Fiction
• Spanish Language Fiction
• Biographies & Memoirs
• Spanish Language Nonfiction
• Dark Star Trilogy
• Ramses the Damned
• Penguin Classics
• Award Winners
• The Parenting Book Guide
• Books to Read Before Bed
• Books for Middle Graders
• Trending Series
• Magic Tree House
• The Last Kids on Earth
• Planet Omar
• Beloved Characters
• The World of Eric Carle
• Llama Llama
• Junie B. Jones
• Peter Rabbit
• Board Books
• Picture Books
• Guided Reading Levels
• Middle Grade
• Activity Books
• Trending This Week
• Top Must-Read Romances
• Page-Turning Series To Start Now
• Books to Cope With Anxiety
• Short Reads
• Anti-Racist Resources
• Staff Picks
• Memoir & Fiction
• Features & Interviews
• Emma Brodie Interview
• James Ellroy Interview
• Nicola Yoon Interview
• Qian Julie Wang Interview
• Deepak Chopra Essay
• How Can I Get Published?
• For Book Clubs
• Reese's Book Club
• Oprah’s Book Club
• happy place " data-category="popular" data-location="header">Guide: Happy Place
• the last white man " data-category="popular" data-location="header">Guide: The Last White Man
• Authors & Events >
• Our Authors
• Michelle Obama
• Zadie Smith
• Emily Henry
• Amor Towles
• Colson Whitehead
• In Their Own Words
• Qian Julie Wang
• Patrick Radden Keefe
• Phoebe Robinson
• Emma Brodie
• Ta-Nehisi Coates
• Laura Hankin
• Recommendations >
• 21 Books To Help You Learn Something New
• The Books That Inspired "Saltburn"
• Insightful Therapy Books To Read This Year
• Historical Fiction With Female Protagonists
• Best Thrillers of All Time
• Manga and Graphic Novels
• happy place " data-category="recommendations" data-location="header">Start Reading Happy Place
• How to Make Reading a Habit with James Clear
• Why Reading Is Good for Your Health
• 10 Facts About Taylor Swift
• New Releases
• Memoirs Read by the Author
• Our Most Soothing Narrators
• Press Play for Inspiration
• Audiobooks You Just Can't Pause
• Listen With the Whole Family

Look Inside

The Assignment

By liza wiemer, by liza wiemer read by emily lawrence , lincoln hoppe , julia whelan , andrew eiden , liza wiemer and full cast, category: teen & young adult fiction | teen & young adult social issues, category: teen & young adult fiction | teen & young adult social issues | audiobooks.

Aug 31, 2021 | ISBN 9780593123195 | 5-1/2 x 8-1/4 --> | Young Adult | ISBN 9780593123195 --> Buy

Aug 25, 2020 | ISBN 9780593123164 | 5-1/2 x 8-1/4 --> | Young Adult | ISBN 9780593123164 --> Buy

Aug 25, 2020 | ISBN 9780593123171 | 5-1/2 x 8-1/4 --> | Young Adult | ISBN 9780593123171 --> Buy

Aug 25, 2020 | ISBN 9780593123188 | Young Adult | ISBN 9780593123188 --> Buy

Aug 25, 2020 | 537 Minutes | Young Adult | ISBN 9780593207871 --> Buy

Buy from Other Retailers:

Aug 31, 2021 | ISBN 9780593123195 | Young Adult

Aug 25, 2020 | ISBN 9780593123164 | Young Adult

Aug 25, 2020 | ISBN 9780593123171 | Young Adult

Aug 25, 2020 | ISBN 9780593123188 | Young Adult

Aug 25, 2020 | ISBN 9780593207871 | Young Adult

537 Minutes

Buy the Audiobook Download:

• audiobooks.com

About The Assignment

Inspired by a real-life incident, this riveting novel explores the dangerous impact discrimination and antisemitism have on one community when a school assignment goes terribly wrong. Would you defend the indefensible ? That’s what seniors Logan March and Cade Crawford are asked to do when a favorite teacher instructs a group of students to argue for the Final Solution–the Nazi plan for the genocide of the Jewish people. Logan and Cade decide they must take a stand, and soon their actions draw the attention of the student body, the administration, and the community at large. But not everyone feels as Logan and Cade do–after all, isn’t a school debate just a school debate? It’s not long before the situation explodes, and acrimony and anger result. Based on true events, The Assignment asks: What does it take for tolerance, justice, and love to prevail ? “An important look at a critical moment in history through a modern lens showcasing the power of student activism.” — SLJ

A SYDNEY TAYLOR NOTABLE BOOK   Inspired by a real-life incident, this riveting novel explores discrimination and antisemitism and reveals their dangerous impact. Would you defend the indefensible? That’s what seniors Logan March and Cade Crawford are asked to do when a favorite teacher instructs a group of students to argue for the Final Solution–the Nazi plan for the genocide of the Jewish people. Logan and Cade decide they must take a stand, and soon their actions draw the attention of the student body, the administration, and the community at large. But not everyone feels as Logan and Cade do–after all, isn’t a school debate just a school debate? It’s not long before the situation explodes, and acrimony and anger result. Based on true events, The Assignment asks: What does it take for tolerance, justice, and love to prevail? “An important look at a critical moment in history through a modern lens showcasing the power of student activism.” – SLJ

Listen to a sample from The Assignment

Also by liza wiemer.

About Liza Wiemer

Liza Wiemer is an award-winning educator with over twenty years of experience. She is the author of two adult nonfiction books, as well as a young adult novel. She lives in Milwaukee with her family. Visit her at LizaWiemer.com and… More about Liza Wiemer

Product Details

Category: teen & young adult fiction | teen & young adult social issues, category: teen & young adult fiction | teen & young adult social issues | audiobooks, you may also like.

City of Saints & Thieves

The Chocolate War

The Life and Crimes of Hoodie Rosen

The Cardturner

“ I recommend this book . . . as a model of being an ally and what it takes to speak up for what’s right when confronted with something truly wrong. Excellent for reading in a classroom or as part of a book club.” —Evonne Marzouck-The Jewish Press  “A good choice for fans of Angie Thomas’s The Hate U Give and Nic Stone’s Dear Martin . ” — School Library Journal “This wise and nuanced novel has loving arms that, while hugging two teens who must confront a popular teacher, also can reach all those who are belittled and unheard.” —Thanhhà Lại, New York Times bestselling author of Inside Out & Back Again and Butterfly Yellow “A riveting, important , and thought-provoking read. Unputdownable and unforgettable.” —Leah Cypess, author of The Death Sworn series    “This fast-paced, compelling story will inspire readers to stick to their principles and fight for what’s right. A timely and necessary read. ” —Kip Wilson, author of White Rose “ Brave, breath-stealing and bold. A compelling and necessary read.” —Gae Polisner, author of The Memory of Things and Jack Kerouac Is Dead to Me “Readers won’t be able to resist putting themselves in the students’ shoes and thinking about when and where they themselves would draw the line, or if they would dare confront power at all.” —Nancy Werlin, author of The Rules of Survival “This fast-paced novel will keep readers thoroughly engaged. An important plot-driven story about two teens who stand up for what’s right in the face of adversity.” — Kirkus Reviews

Georgia Peach Book Award NOMINEE 2022

Sakura Medal NOMINEE 2022

YALSA Best Books for Young Adults NOMINEE 2021

Bank Street College Best Children’s Book of the Year SELECTION 2021

TAYSHAS Reading List SELECTION 2022

Sydney Taylor Book Award, Association of Jewish Libraries RECOMMENDED 2021

Visit other sites in the Penguin Random House Network

Raise kids who love to read

Today's Top Books

Want to know what people are actually reading right now?

An online magazine for today’s home cook

Just for joining you’ll get personalized recommendations on your dashboard daily and features only for members.

The Assignment

• By Liza Wiemer
• Delacorte Press
• Reviewed by Caroline Bock
• October 9, 2020

Would you emulate a Nazi if the teacher told you to? Would your friends?

This is your assignment: Read The Assignment by Liza Wiemer. More importantly, have your teenagers and their teachers read it.

This YA novel was inspired by a real-life high school class in which students were made to roleplay Nazis and others at the 1942 Wannsee Conference, the infamous WWII meeting where the Final Solution was debated and agreed upon. Wiemer takes this jumping-off point and develops it into a gripping tale full of characters who spring to life.

The novel is set at Riviere High School in an upper-middle-class, fictional New York town with few or no Jewish families or people of color. Hockey, the prom, and grades are what matter to these kids, most of whom have been in class together since kindergarten.

Mr. Bartley, a beloved teacher who likes to bring the past alive, assigns students in his History of World Governments class to argue either for the extermination of the Jews or for the implementation of sterilization, ghettos, and work camps. Students assigned to be Nazis must “research and analyze five reasons supporting your position of a Final Solution of the Jewish Question.”

While The Assignment is narrated from multiple points of view, Cade’s voice takes center stage. His grandparents are immigrants from Poland, and he remembers stories of how they witnessed atrocities against the Jews in their hometown, and of how his grandfather hid his Jewish friend, Yankel, on his farm. Not surprisingly, he struggles with the assignment.

Cade and his peers are bright students who know of the Muslim Uighurs in China held in concentration camps and the Charlottesville march by white supremacists. They are aware of Confederate flags and decals displayed on some of their all-American neighbors’ houses and pickup trucks. Yet not all of them balk at the task they’re given.

Still, after one teen jokingly raises his hand in a Nazi salute and calls out “Heil Hitler,” Mr. Bartley admonishes him:

“Let me be clear. I am not asking you to be sympathetic to the Nazis. Quite the opposite. This is a serious examination of a historical event. Let’s learn from this moment and be respectful.”

But Cade and his best friend, Logan, are extremely uncomfortable with the assignment. Will they be able to take a stand against their teacher and peers?

The cinematic scene in which they push back against classroom authority and refuse to participate is one that left this reader cheering. In it, Mr. Bartley insists that, in role-playing Nazis, students are simply like actors in a movie. These lines, which end the short chapter, are from Cade’s point of view and illustrate that he and Logan feel differently:

“Logan’s lips part, but no sounds come out. I press my arm against hers. She’s trembling. I look at Mr. Bartley. ‘Fine,’ I say. ‘I’ll take an F.’ And I follow Logan out the door.”

Some other students also push back, but not all. An alternative assignment is offered, although the original still stands. Word soon gets out, the media becomes involved, and the community’s emotions run high. Swastikas appear. Tempers flare.

And at home, longstanding, closely held family secrets are shared that raise the stakes even higher for Cade. Long-ago revelations expressed by his grandmother add an authentic, heartbreaking element to the story.

But it’s the voices and actions of the students who take a stand for what they believe in that truly make The Assignment a must-read.

Caroline Bock’s debut short-story collection, Carry Her Home , was winner of the 2018 Fiction Award from the Washington Writers’ Publishing House. It is now available on Audible and iTunes. She is also the author of the young-adult novels LIE and Before My Eyes .

Support the Independent by purchasing this title via our affliate links: Amazon.com Powell's.com Or through Bookshop.org

Book Review in Fiction More

Thirst for Salt: A Novel

By madelaine lucas.

Now older, a woman reflects on a fraught May-December romance.

By Barbara Molinard; translated by Emma Ramadan

A maddeningly abstruse story collection from France.

• Short Stories ,

Advertisement

Upstream News

The assignment is a book every teen should read, regardless of religion.

By Hagar Cohen , Opinions Editor | November 14, 2022

lizawiemer.com

Book Cover, The Assignment by Liza Wiemer

Major Spoiler Warning for The Assignment 

“Would YOU speak up for what is right?” The question stands out, even in small font, on the front cover of The Assignment , written by Liza Wiemer. 

The Assignment is a book that details an assignment that should never be given and encourages people to speak up along the way. Logan March and Cade Crawford navigate antisemitism, activism, and hate in a way no student should ever have to. Their bravery throughout the book is proven time and time again. Even the side characters find their outstanding roles and voices in the story, taking the readers through a rollercoaster of their own. Although the book was published in 2020, the elements detailing Logan and Cade’s story are still relevant to this day, especially following Kanye West’s recent antisemitic speech and actions .

Liza Wiemer wrote The Assignment based on a true story , which took place in Oswego, NY. Wiemer had been visiting New York to promote and talk about her debut, named Hello? —and an assignment very similar to the one in Wiemer’s story was assigned in the small town of Oswego. Wiemer met the two teens who fought against it. The Assignment ended up winning several awards, one of which was the 2021 Sydney Taylor Notable Book award. Wiemer had been in disbelief that an assignment promoting Holocaust denial and antisemitism was allowed that year (2016), yet there are still similar assignments being assigned in 2022. In addition, antisemitism has been increasing recently, with two major celebrities tweeting antisemitic remarks. 

During October, Ye (formerly known as Kanye West) made several antisemitic remarks that cost him his partnership with Adidas, and last week, Kyrie Irving defended his decision to promote an antisemitic movie that cost him playing in games for the Brooklyn Nets and his partnership with Nike. Now more than ever, a book like The Assignment is important and relevant to the conversation of antisemitism and Holocaust denial in the United States.

In The Assignment , the two main characters, Logan and Cade, are assigned a debate in their favorite teacher’s class in which everyone is required to recreate the Wannsee Conference in favor of the Nazis. The premise of the assignment was disappointing, yet not surprising. The Wannsee Conference was the debate in which senior Nazi officials discussed the Final Solution to the Jewish Question, which was the plan for extermination of Jewish people in Germany. Logan and Cade both immediately expressed a negative point of view on the assignment and planned to refuse to participate. This immediately sets up the fast pacing of the novel, introducing the conflict starting from the first page. 

Logan and Cade knew in their hearts that this assignment felt off, yet they hesitated to speak up at first. The hesitation is all too familiar, even when it comes to speaking out about unrelated topics. I felt seen and reflected in both characters, but especially in Cade. He had a connection to Judaism that he didn’t explore further until later in the book, but it was still very easy to draw parallels between his story and mine. Besides Cade, Daniel is a close second for the character whose story is extremely similar to mine. Daniel is a side character who notices the struggles of Logan and Cade and silently joins their protest and outcry. Daniel feels like a special character to me because although he is scared of the repercussions of speaking out, his situation is vastly different from everyone else’s. The parallel drawn between him getting bullied because of his gay identity and Logan and Cade getting bullied for speaking out is the string that sticks out, tying together the story. 

Other than the encouragement to speak out, the representation of Judaism in the book is also extremely important to Jewish teens like me. This book was what 8th-grade me would have loved to see, which is why I loved it so much. As I realized back then that antisemitism can and does happen everywhere, I believe that a story like Logan and Cade’s would have made an extremely strong impact on me and my perspective on antisemitism. 

The teacher that assigned the debate, Mr. Bartley, defends his assignment, saying that it is important to understand the thought process of the Nazis who debated the Final Solution. However, one student takes this literally and he “stands up and snaps his feet together. He lifts his right arm and salutes like a Nazi. ‘Heil Hitler,’ he calls out” (Wiemer 10). This was the first time I had to put the book down. All I could think about were the posts on social media calling students out for performing Nazi salutes in their schools and classrooms, and the students not getting reprimanded for it. The reality in the book is so important to highlight and talk about as the conversation surrounding antisemitism continues. 

Later on in the book, Logan’s locker is vandalized with “pictures and sticky notes filled with blood red swastikas and hateful words” (Wiemer 152). This was another notable moment where I had to put the book down. The shock of the student body, Logan, and Cade upon finding the surprise in Logan’s locker reminded me of a dinner conversation with my family, where I found out that someone drew a swastika in the bathroom of my brother’s elementary school without knowing the implications of their actions. The suspense kept convincing me to pick the book back up, as Logan and Cade always managed to find the most logical solutions to problems that should have never existed.

“Jesse Elton stands up and snaps his feet together. He lifts his right arm and salutes like a Nazi. ‘Heil Hitler,’ he calls out.”

— Logan

Logan and Cade’s active outcry against the assignment is repeated and emphasized in every chapter. They talked to Mr. Bartley, took it to the principal, took it to the local newspaper, and eventually, their outcry went viral. Logan and Cade took every possible action to ensure that the antisemitic debate would be canceled. The closest adults in their lives are behind them and support them, with Logan’s father saying, “I will support you and Cade in every way I can” (Wiemer 106) and Cade’s mother saying, “You’re Granite. Steel. Titanium. You don’t allow any of that hate to get through. You understand?” and “What you said to the reporter showed tremendous dignity and respect. Let that be your guide. You and Logan must be together on this, and if you need guidance, you can turn to us” (Wiemer 144-145). Logan and Cade never give up, which I found extremely admirable. I found myself enjoying this rollercoaster of events, and the plan they put into action found its way into occupying my brain. The courage displayed by Cade and Logan and the support of their parents is deliberately written in a way that encourages the reader to find their own courage to stand up to an antisemitic assignment at their school and antisemitism in their communities. 

The writing style of the story really emphasized the intertwining of Logan, Cade, and other side characters’ stories in regard to the assignment given out. In every chapter, the book mainly switched points of view between five characters: Logan, Cade, Mason, Heather, and Daniel. There are also chapters of text conversations, social media comments, and phone conversations, which provide important context to the advancement of the plot. The chapters with Logan and Cade are in first-person, while the rest of the characters’ points of view are in third-person. This makes their stories much more interesting, since sometimes the first-person point of view does not take into consideration certain characteristics of the characters. Mason’s father is the coach of the school’s hockey team, and he is implied to be abusive. The players on the hockey team also bully him, and although he wants to speak out, he is scared of facing repercussions from it. Specifically, the quotes “[The hockey team players] trashed Mason, taunted him, told him he was gay like Daniel Riggs” and “‘Keep the boys focused on the game. That’s it. Besides, this never would’ve happened if you had played better, if you hadn’t missed that goal…’ He went on and on picking Mason apart until Mason wanted to shrink into his chair just like his mother did when the criticism was aimed at her.” stood out to me because they make Mason’s character more real in a way, and give readers who are also scared of the repercussions of speaking out a character to relate to. Heather is similar to Mason in the way that she is also scared of the repercussions of speaking out because of her family life, but in the end, she finds her voice and joins Logan and Cade with full support. 

“You’re Granite. Steel. Titanium. You don’t allow any of that hate to get through. You understand?”

— Cade's mother

At the end of the story, a major plot twist occurs. Cade finds out that his grandparents were actually Jewish, but concerned for their safety, they pretended to be Christian. The twist was the most shocking and unexpected part of the book, yet it made his story that much more relatable. 

There were tears streaming down my cheeks and a smile plastered on my face as all of the hard work done by Logan and Cade turned out to accomplish huge strides for themselves and for their community. I laughed, I cried, and I cheered for the characters throughout the entire book.

I had the privilege of attending a book fair presentation where Wiemer and another Jewish author, Samantha A. Vinokor-Meinrath, presented their books and talked about antisemitism to Jewish teens. Some of the topics that were talked about included the connotation of the word Jew vs. the word Jewish, the importance of tone, Jewish and non-Jewish activism against antisemitism, and our own journeys as Jewish people. Liza’s presentation just made the book come to life more, and I saw as the other teens in the room resonated with the journey taken by Logan and Cade. 

After the presentation, the book fair ran out of copies of The Assignment , and the line for the author signing was extremely long. As more people speak out against antisemitism in the United States, it is important to remember that there are many actions that can be considered antisemitic, whether it would be an assignment that defends Nazis or painting swastikas. When faced with the assignment and hatred, the courage of the two teens in The Assignment proves to readers that if they witness antisemitism and other forms of hatred in their lives, they too can gather up the courage and stand up for what they believe in. 

Relating to antisemitism in today’s society, there was rightful massive backlash against the antisemitism of celebrities like Ye and Kyrie Irving. The Tweet that stood out from Ye stated that there were plans to “[go] death con 3 on Jewish people” and that “[he] can’t be antisemitic because black people are actually Jew[ish] also.” Meanwhile, from Irving, the tweet that stood out promoted a movie named Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America , which promoted antisemitic theories. A book like The Assignment is massively important as teens grow up and start noticing that there is a growth of hatred in our society, and start to learn how to cope with it. 

The relevancy of the story, the compelling plot, the relatable characters, and the accurate Jewish representation all tie together to make this book one of the most impactful books I’ve ever read. I give this book 5/5 stars because, while being the most unique book I’ve ever read, it still keeps the reality of what’s going on in the world to make it more digestible to an overwhelmed brain. The book is about 300 pages long, yet it only took me two days to finish reading. It’s an easy yet powerful read. My main motto with books is “if it makes me cry, it’s automatically a good book”, and the amount of times I’ve cried while reading this book means it’s just that extraordinary.

• antisemitism
• book review
• liza wiemer
• the assignment

Your donation will support the student journalists of Carnegie Vanguard High School. Your contribution will allow us to cover our annual website hosting costs and fund field trips, competition fees, and equipment. We appreciate your support!

Hagar enjoys expressing herself through writing, but also through admiration of the fine arts as a whole. She sees it as a way to show how she is feeling...

Arts & Entertainment

Review: The wait for Vultures 1 is over, but was it worth it?

Avatar The Last Airbender Review: Not my cabbages!

One Day Review: Maybe one day it will hurt less

Review of “Boy Swallows Universe” by Trent Dalton: The script versus the Netflix show

Madame Web review: Wait… this isn’t Marvel???

Griselda review: Netflix and Vergara take on La Dona Gris

Argylle review: More comedy than spy movie

Op-Ed: Carnegie students are responsible, but gacha games don’t want you to be

Review: Chalamet shines in his very own world of pure imagination

Books vs. Movies: are text to screen adaptations any good?

The Student-Run News Site of Carnegie Vanguard High School

• Editorial Policy
• Submit an Op-Ed or Column

Comments (0)

Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Social Justice Books

Critically reviewed selection of multicultural and social justice books for children, young adults, and educators.

The Assignment

Interview by alaina leary.

Book description: SENIOR YEAR. When an assignment given by a favorite teacher instructs a group of students to argue for the Final Solution, a euphemism used to describe the Nazi plan for the genocide of the Jewish people, Logan March and Cade Crawford are horrified. Their teacher cannot seriously expect anyone to complete an assignment that fuels intolerance and discrimination. Logan and Cade decide they must take a stand. As the school administration addressed the teens’ refusal to participate in the appalling debate, the student body, their parents, and the larger community are forced to face the issue, as well. The situation explodes, and acrimony and anger result. What does it take for tolerance, justice, and love to prevail?

Instead of a review, we are posting an interview with the author of The Assignment , Liza Wiemer, by Alaina Leary at Diverse Books.org.

What did you learn from the research you did about racist and anti-Semitic school assignments? 

School assignments exploring important, complicated issues are a crucial part of education. They foster critical thinking and discussion. However, damaging, misguided, and thoughtless assignments dealing with those tough issues can be presented in racist or anti-Semitic ways and are much more common than people would think. Once news got out that I was writing this novel, people messaged me or told me directly about similar harmful assignments — some successfully challenged, some that were not. Those who remained silent did so for several reasons: fear of confrontation, retaliation, or being ostracized. They didn’t want to cause trouble or get a teacher in trouble. Students didn’t want to be seen as tattletales or complainers. But no one should ever have to defend the indefensible. No one should have to justify the unjustifiable. Speaking up is  hard. I heard from many who didn’t confront the issue that they regretted staying silent. We need to foster environments where upstanders are respected and feel safe to confront hatred and injustice. That’s why I feel having a novel like this is critical. It promotes discussion. It allows readers to contemplate what they would do if they found themselves in a similar situation and shows that courage comes from within. Continue reading.

Publisher's Synopsis: A SYDNEY TAYLOR NOTABLE BOOK Inspired by a real-life incident, this riveting novel explores discrimination and antisemitism and reveals their dangerous impact. Would you defend the indefensible? That's what seniors Logan March and Cade Crawford are asked to do when a favorite teacher instructs a group of students to argue for the Final Solution — the Nazi plan for the genocide of the Jewish people. Logan and Cade decide they must take a stand, and soon their actions draw the attention of the student body, the administration, and the community at large. But not everyone feels as Logan and Cade do — after all, isn't a school debate just a school debate? It's not long before the situation explodes, and acrimony and anger result. Based on true events, The Assignment asks: What does it take for tolerance, justice, and love to prevail? "An important look at a critical moment in history through a modern lens showcasing the power of student activism." — SLJ

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

• ADMIN AREA MY BOOKSHELF MY DASHBOARD MY PROFILE SIGN OUT SIGN IN

THE ASSIGNMENT

by Liza Wiemer ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 25, 2020

An important plot-driven story about two teens who stand up for what’s right in the face of adversity.

High school seniors and best friends Logan and Cade are asked to defend the indefensible as part of a history assignment; they refuse.

Logan and Cade are not Jewish, but when their history teacher, Mr. Bartley, gives them an assignment in which they are to take on the role of Nazis and reenact the Wannsee Conference of 1942, each taking a side of the “debate” about the Final Solution, they protest. This is not a debate at all but a dehumanizing discussion about the extermination of the Jewish people. Narrated from the perspectives of several different characters, the novel tells a fictionalized story based on the actions of two New York state teens who stood against their teacher, principal, and, eventually, their school district with the help of their families and community. Despite abrupt, sometimes confusing point-of-view switches and somewhat wordy prose, this fast-paced novel will keep readers thoroughly engaged and eager to learn the resolution, rooting for Logan and Cade the whole way. The book contains a small element of romance as well as some references to sexual assault and physical abuse. The book also depicts anti-Semitic actions and related hate crimes. Main characters are assumed to be cisgender, white, and straight. There is diversity among the secondary characters, including one queer character.

Pub Date: Aug. 25, 2020

ISBN: 978-0-593-12316-4

Page Count: 336

Publisher: Delacorte

Review Posted Online: May 31, 2020

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2020

TEENS & YOUNG ADULT SOCIAL THEMES | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT SCHOOL & FRIENDSHIP

Share your opinion of this book

More by Liza Wiemer

BOOK REVIEW

by Liza Wiemer ; illustrated by Margeaux Lucas

IF ONLY I HAD TOLD HER

by Laura Nowlin ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 6, 2024

A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind.

In this companion novel to 2013’s If He Had Been With Me , three characters tell their sides of the story.

Finn’s narrative starts three days before his death. He explores the progress of his unrequited love for best friend Autumn up until the day he finally expresses his feelings. Finn’s story ends with his tragic death, which leaves his close friends devastated, unmoored, and uncertain how to go on. Jack’s section follows, offering a heartbreaking look at what it’s like to live with grief. Jack works to overcome the anger he feels toward Sylvie, the girlfriend Finn was breaking up with when he died, and Autumn, the girl he was preparing to build his life around (but whom Jack believed wasn’t good enough for Finn). But when Jack sees how Autumn’s grief matches his own, it changes their understanding of one another. Autumn’s chapters trace her life without Finn as readers follow her struggles with mental health and balancing love and loss. Those who have read the earlier book will better connect with and feel for these characters, particularly since they’ll have a more well-rounded impression of Finn. The pain and anger is well written, and the novel highlights the most troublesome aspects of young adulthood: overconfidence sprinkled with heavy insecurities, fear-fueled decisions, bad communication, and brash judgments. Characters are cued white.

Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024

ISBN: 9781728276229

Page Count: 416

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Review Posted Online: Jan. 5, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2024

TEENS & YOUNG ADULT SOCIAL THEMES | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT FICTION | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT ROMANCE

More by Laura Nowlin

by Laura Nowlin

IF HE HAD BEEN WITH ME

by Laura Nowlin ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 2013

There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.

The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.

Autumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart; their mothers are still best friends. Growing up, Autumn and Finny were like peas in a pod despite their differences: Autumn is “quirky and odd,” while Finny is “sweet and shy and everyone like[s] him.” But in eighth grade, Autumn and Finny stop being friends due to an unexpected kiss. They drift apart and find new friends, but their friendship keeps asserting itself at parties, shared holiday gatherings and random encounters. In the summer after graduation, Autumn and Finny reconnect and are finally ready to be more than friends. But on August 8, everything changes, and Autumn has to rely on all her strength to move on. Autumn’s coming-of-age is sensitively chronicled, with a wide range of experiences and events shaping her character. Even secondary characters are well-rounded, with their own histories and motivations.

Pub Date: April 1, 2013

ISBN: 978-1-4022-7782-5

Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013

TEENS & YOUNG ADULT ROMANCE | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT SOCIAL THEMES

More About This Book

SEEN & HEARD

• Discover Books Fiction Thriller & Suspense Mystery & Detective Romance Science Fiction & Fantasy Nonfiction Biography & Memoir Teens & Young Adult Children's
• News & Features Bestsellers Book Lists Profiles Perspectives Awards Seen & Heard Book to Screen Kirkus TV videos In the News
• Kirkus Prize Winners & Finalists About the Kirkus Prize Kirkus Prize Judges
• Magazine Current Issue All Issues Manage My Subscription Subscribe
• Writers’ Center Hire a Professional Book Editor Get Your Book Reviewed Advertise Your Book Launch a Pro Connect Author Page Learn About The Book Industry
• More Kirkus Diversity Collections Kirkus Pro Connect My Account/Login
• About Kirkus History Our Team Contest FAQ Press Center Info For Publishers
• Privacy Policy
• Terms & Conditions
• Reprints, Permission & Excerpting Policy

© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Popular in this Genre

Hey there, book lover.

We’re glad you found a book that interests you!

Please select an existing bookshelf

Create a new bookshelf.

We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!

Please sign up to continue.

It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!

Already have an account? Log in.

Trouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.

Almost there!

• Industry Professional

Welcome Back!

Sign in using your Kirkus account

Contact us: 1-800-316-9361 or email [email protected].

Don’t fret. We’ll find you.

Magazine Subscribers ( How to Find Your Reader Number )

If You’ve Purchased Author Services

Don’t have an account yet? Sign Up.

Movie Reviews

Tv/streaming, collections, great movies, chaz's journal, contributors, the assignment.

Now streaming on:

"The Assignment'' is a canny, tricky thriller that could serve as an illustration of what this week's similar release, "The Peacemaker,'' is not. Both films involve an international hunt for a dangerous terrorist, but "The Peacemaker'' is a cartoon and "The Assignment'' is intelligent and gripping--and it has a third act! Instead of an action orgy, it has more than enough story to see it through to the end and keep us absorbed the whole way. Yes, it ends with a deadly struggle, but as the setting for another stage of the movie's web of deceit.

The film is centered on a CIA plot to discredit and kill Carlos, the feared terrorist who operated for years, despite the best efforts of the free world's security agencies to capture him. Donald Sutherland plays Fields, the CIA agent for whom Carlos has become an obsession, and when he finds a U.S. Navy officer named Ramirez ( Aidan Quinn ) who's a dead-ringer for the terrorist, he devises a risky scheme: He'll train Ramirez to impersonate Carlos, then use the double to convince the KGB that their attack dog is disloyal. As a result, Carlos will either be dead or, almost as good, discredited in the eyes of his sponsors.

Fields works with an Israeli named Amos ( Ben Kingsley ) in training Ramirez, after first using psychological tactics to persuade the reluctant Navy man to leave his wife and family and become a counter-terrorist. (The scene where Fields shows Ramirez a dying child in a hospital is a direct echo of " The Third Man ".) Then the false Carlos, is sent into the field to work the deception, which I will not describe.

"The Assignment'' is fascinating because its characters can be believed, because there is at least a tiny nugget of truth in the story, and because from the deceptive opening credits, this is a film that creates the right world for these characters to inhabit. Sutherland's CIA man is especially well drawn: "I don't have any family,'' he says, "and I don't have any friends. The only people I've ever cared about were the ones I've killed.'' Quinn plays a dual role, as Ramirez and Carlos, and has some tricky scenes, especially one in which a former lover of Carlos helps train him sexually so that he will be a convincing bedmate for another of the terrorist's lovers.

The screenplay, by Dan Gordon and Sabi H. Shabtai , has action scenes that grow from the story and are not simply set pieces for their own sake. It's impressive the way so many different story threads come together all at once near the end.

The director, Christian Duguay , is new to me. What he has is a tactile love of film, of images. He and the cinematographer, David Franco, don't use locations so much as occupy them; we visit Jerusalem, Paris, Vienna, Washington, Tripoli and Moscow (or sets and effects that look like them) and yet the movie's not a travelogue but a story hurtling ahead.

I have seen so many lazy thrillers. They share the same characteristics: Most of the scenes involve the overpriced star, the villain is underwritten, and the plot is merely a set-up for the special effects, the chases and the final action climax. "The Assignment'' gives us ensemble work by fine actors, it has a villain of great complexity (developed through the process of imitating him), and at the end there is a tantalizing situation for us to unravel as we leave the theater.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

Now playing

In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon

Clint worthington.

Io Capitano

Brian Tallerico

Asphalt City

Glenn kenny.

We Were the Lucky Ones

Robert daniels, film credits.

The Assignment (1997)

Rated R For Strong Violence, Sexuality and Language

115 minutes

Claudia Ferri as Maura Ramirez

Aidan Quinn as Annibal Ramirez/Carlos

Ben Kingsley as Amos

Celine Bonnier as Carla

Directed by

• Christian Duguay
• Sabi H. Shabtai

Latest blog posts

The People’s Joker and Six Other Films That Were Stuck in Legal Limbo

Metrograph Highlights Remarkable Career of Lee Chang-dong

Female Filmmakers in Focus: Alice Rohrwacher on La Chimera

On Luca, Tenet, The Invisible Man and Other Films from the Early Pandemic Era that Deserve More Big-Screen Time

The Assignment (Paperback)

Description

About the author, praise for….

• Young Adult Fiction / School & Education
• Young Adult Fiction / Social Themes / Prejudice & Racism
• Young Adult Fiction / Social Themes / Values & Virtues
• Kobo eBook (August 24th, 2020): $10.99
• Hardcover (August 25th, 2020): $17.99
• Library Binding (August 25th, 2020): $20.99

• Skip to main content
• Keyboard shortcuts for audio player

The Picture Show

The work and legacy of photographer anja niedringhaus endure 10 years after her death.

Hannah Bloch

Virginia Lozano

In this photo made by Associated Press photographer Anja Niedringhaus, an Afghan boy flies his kite on a hill overlooking Kabul, Afghanistan, May 13, 2013. Anja Niedringhaus/AP hide caption

In this photo made by Associated Press photographer Anja Niedringhaus, an Afghan boy flies his kite on a hill overlooking Kabul, Afghanistan, May 13, 2013.

"I do my job simply to report people's courage with my camera and with my heart," Anja Niedringhaus said in 2005.

The acclaimed German photojournalist, known best for her work covering conflict for The Associated Press in the Middle East and Afghanistan, was killed 10 years ago, on April 4, 2014, while on assignment covering Afghanistan's elections. An Afghan policeman shot her as she sat in a car with close friend and colleague Kathy Gannon, AP's longtime senior correspondent in Afghanistan and Pakistan, who was also shot and survived the attack with severe wounds.

An Afghan female prisoner, Nuria, with her infant boy at Badam Bagh, Afghanistan's central women's prison, in Kabul, March 28, 2013. Anja Niedringhaus/AP hide caption

An Afghan female prisoner, Nuria, with her infant boy at Badam Bagh, Afghanistan's central women's prison, in Kabul, March 28, 2013.

U.S. Marine Cpl. Burness Britt reacts after being lifted onto a U.S. Army medevac helicopter, June 4, 2011. Britt was wounded in Afghanistan's Helmand province. Niedringhaus held Britt's hand in the helicopter and noticed a piece of wheat stuck to his shirt. She picked it up and saved it, then gave it to him months later when she visited him in the hospital. He told her it was his lucky charm. Anja Niedringhaus/ASSOCIATED PRESS hide caption

Iraqi women reach out with empty water containers as British soldiers arrive to supply the outskirts of Iraq's southern city of Basra with drinking water, April 4, 2003. Anja Niedringhaus/AP hide caption

On Thursday, the Bronx Documentary Center in New York City is launching a new book and exhibition of Niedringhaus' work, co-curated by Gannon. A ceremony at the center will honor Palestinian freelance photojournalist Samar Abu Elouf with the Anja Niedringhaus Courage In Photojournalism Award , given by the International Women's Media Foundation.

Niedringhaus' Pulitzer Prize-winning "work helped define the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya," AP photo editors Jacqueline Larma and Enric Marti write . "And despite her reputation as a war photographer, very often she found beauty and joy on assignment — even in those difficult places where she spent so much time. And especially in the place where she ultimately lost her life."

Niedringhaus' images show glimpses of daily life, tenderness, humor and tragedy. "She wasn't covering a war. She wasn't covering a country. She was covering a people," Gannon tells CNN.

"I could have stayed out of trouble most of my life," Niedringhaus said in 2005 , "but always have been drawn to the people, no matter where, who suffer in difficult situations."

Here is a selection of Anja Niedringhaus' work — indelible images that continue to resonate today.

A nomad kisses his young daughter while watching his herd in Marjah, Helmand province, Afghanistan, Oct. 20, 2012. Anja Niedringhaus/AP hide caption

Palestinians enjoy a ride at an amusement park outside Gaza City, March 26, 2006. Anja Niedringhaus/AP hide caption

Hundreds of Afghans wait to see the holy flag at the Kart-e Sakhi mosque in Kabul, Afghanistan, March 21, 2013. Anja Niedringhaus/AP hide caption

Hundreds of Afghans wait to see the holy flag at the Kart-e Sakhi mosque in Kabul, Afghanistan, March 21, 2013.

An Afghan woman holds her newborn baby wrapped in her burqa as she waits to get in line to try on a new burqa in a shop in Kabul, Afghanistan, April 11, 2013. Anja Niedringhaus/AP hide caption

Pakistani Army soldiers with the 20th Lancers Armored Regiment gather before a patrol atop the 8,000-foot mountain near their outpost along the Pakistan-Afghan border, Feb. 20, 2012. Anja Niedringhaus/AP hide caption

An Afghan soldier, left, and a policeman peek through a window as they queue with others to get their registration cards on the last day of voter registration for presidential elections, outside a school in Kabul, Afghanistan, April 1, 2014. Niedringhaus was killed on April 4, 2014. Anja Niedringhaus/AP hide caption

An Afghan soldier, left, and a policeman peek through a window as they queue with others to get their registration cards on the last day of voter registration for presidential elections, outside a school in Kabul, Afghanistan, April 1, 2014. Niedringhaus was killed on April 4, 2014.

An Afghan man with his five children on his motorbike pays money to enter a park in Kandahar, southern Afghanistan, Nov. 1, 2013. Anja Niedringhaus/AP hide caption

A young Pakistani girl works on her midterm papers in a school in Mingora, Swat Valley, Pakistan, on Oct. 5, 2013, a year after Malala Yousafzai was shot in the head by a Taliban gunman. Anja Niedringhaus/AP hide caption

An Afghan carpet seller holds up a framed carpet in his store depicting Hamid Karzai in Kabul, Afghanistan, March 30, 2014. Anja Niedringhaus/AP hide caption

• Anja Niedringhaus
• Photojournalism
• Afghanistan

A Mississippi teacher assigned a controversial chapter in a book. Now, she's out of a job

When S herman Alexie’s novel “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” was released in 2007, it received critical acclaim and won the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature. But over the years, the book ― which is told from the perspective of a 14-year-old Native American boy ― has been the subject of controversy, in part for its depictions of violence, poverty, and sexuality.

The American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom named it the most banned and challenged book from 2010 to 2019. And recently, passionate complaints about Alexie's work reached the Mid-South.

An eighth-grade teacher is no longer in her position at DeSoto County Schools after parents expressed outrage that she assigned her students at Lake Cormorant Middle School a passage focused on masturbation. It was not immediately clear if the teacher who assigned the passage resigned or was fired and DeSoto County Schools did not respond to multiple requests for comment. The district has not publicly identified the teacher.

The parent who has most vocally complained is Tambre Wells, whose daughter was in the class assigned the book section. In late August, she posted a picture of it on Facebook, and wrote, “OMG OMG this is SENT HOME READING MATERIAL for my 8th grade girl???????!!!!! I’ll be at the school in the morning.”

In an update on the same post, she wrote that she had gone to the school and met with the principal, Lisa Steiner, who allegedly told her “No matter the excuse, it is inexcusable in our school.”

“This appears to have been a rogue teacher. They are only allowed to copy and print certain parts of the book, but this teacher did more, even though the clean edited version was provided to her by a colleague,” Wells said in the update. “The teacher has been dismissed and in disgrace. The principal was humble, and I could tell this was weighing on her very much.”

Her post quickly caught fire, receiving more than 1,000 comments and shares. The majority of other commenters also expressed outrage at the passage being assigned to students at the school.

School board reaction

Wells read the passage that had been assigned to her daughter at the DeSoto County Board of Education meeting on Sept. 6 ― a portion of the excerpt reads: "Yep, that’s right, I admit that I masturbate...I’m proud of it. I’m good at it." ― and questioned the presence of the book in the classroom or school library. She also asked the board for an audit of the reading curriculum and library books with potentially inappropriate content.  

“This book has bullying, teen drinking, shoplifting, racism, and sexual content,” she said at the public meeting. “As a parent with conservative values, I'm not alone in requesting an audit of the curriculum and library schoolbooks… It's important for us to provide a safe and respectful learning environment to our children that aligns with our morals and values that we hold dear.”

DeSoto County Schools Superintendent Cory Uselton expressed frustration that the passage had been assigned and noted actions being taken as the district looks ahead.

“I contacted the board last week after that came to our attention,” he said at the meeting. “I would say within a matter of almost minutes, but hours, it was addressed from the superintendent-board level. However, also, what you're talking about as far as library books, I've met with each of our directors who are over the primary schools or immediate schools, middle schools and high schools. They're going to be meeting with principals individually to discuss this concern.”

Added Charles Barton, the board chairperson, on the assignment:

“We met within a couple of hours,” he said. “And 5-0, we all agreed, that's not going to be put up with, that's not going to be tolerated – not for one minute.”

'I trust the teachers'

However, not all DeSoto County parents are furious about the use of the passage from Alexie’s book.

Jennie Wade is a real estate appraiser who grew up in Memphis and has lived in Olive Branch for almost 25 years. She has two children in their twenties who graduated from DeSoto County Schools and a nine-year-old who currently attends a school in the district.

She told The Commercial Appeal that if the teacher had been explicitly told not to assign the passage and did it anyway, she “may have deserved some punishment,” giving an example of a suspension. But Wade also said she didn’t “think it was fair for the teacher to be fired so quickly.”

Wade also said she places her trust in teachers, at a time when she believes their job has become particularly challenging.

Memphis education news: Interim MSCS Superintendent Toni Williams gets evaluation, talks school HVAC issues

"I trust the teachers and I trust the administrators to teach my child," she said. "If I didn't, I wouldn't have them in public school. I would homeschool my son, or I would find a charter school or private school."

And as she read Facebook comments from people infuriated over the reading assignment, she decided to learn more about Alexie’s novel, beyond just the passage focused on masturbation. She liked what she found: the story of a Native American teenager and talented cartoonist, who grows up on the Spokane Indian Reservation and decides to attend an all-white farm town high school.

“When you read about another kid in another type of community in a whole different region of the country that might be going through the same thing you are, it helps,” Wade said. “I think it's just it's good for our kids to be educated with a lot of different perspectives, and not just what we feel comfortable with.”

John Klyce covers education and children's issues for The Commercial Appeal. You can reach him at [email protected]

• Election 2024
• Entertainment
• Newsletters
• Photography
• Personal Finance
• AP Buyline Personal Finance
• Press Releases
• Israel-Hamas War
• Russia-Ukraine War
• Global elections
• Asia Pacific
• Latin America
• Middle East
• Election Results
• Delegate Tracker
• AP & Elections
• March Madness
• AP Top 25 Poll
• Movie reviews
• Book reviews
• Personal finance
• Financial Markets
• Business Highlights
• Financial wellness
• Artificial Intelligence
• Social Media

Trump is selling ‘God Bless the USA’ Bibles for $59.99 as he faces mounting legal bills

Former President Donald Trump, now the presumptive 2024 Republican nominee, released a video on his Truth Social platform on Tuesday urging supporters to buy the “God Bless the USA Bible,” inspired by country singer Lee Greenwood’s patriotic ballad.

FILE - President Donald Trump holds a Bible as he visits outside St. John’s Church across Lafayette Park from the White House, June 1, 2020, in Washington. Trump is now selling Bibles as he runs to return to the White House. The presumptive Republican nominee released a video on his Truth Social platform Tuesday urging his supporters to purchase the “God Bless The USA Bible.” (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)

• Copy Link copied

NEW YORK (AP) — Former President Donald Trump is now selling Bibles as he runs to return to the White House.

Trump, who became the presumptive Republican nominee earlier this month, released a video on his Truth Social platform on Tuesday urging his supporters to buy the “God Bless the USA Bible,” which is inspired by country singer Lee Greenwood’s patriotic ballad. Trump takes the stage to the song at each of his rallies and has appeared with Greenwood at events.

“Happy Holy Week! Let’s Make America Pray Again. As we lead into Good Friday and Easter, I encourage you to get a copy of the God Bless the USA Bible,” Trump wrote, directing his supporters to a website selling the book for $59.99.

The effort comes as Trump has faced a serious money crunch amid mounting legal bills while he fights four criminal indictments along with a series of civil charges. Trump was given a reprieve Monday when a New York appeals court agreed to hold off on collecting the more than $454 million he owes following a civil fraud judgment if he puts up $175 million within 10 days. Trump has already posted a $92 million bond in connection with defamation cases brought by the writer E. Jean Carroll , who accused Trump of sexual assault.

“All Americans need a Bible in their home, and I have many. It’s my favorite book,” Trump said in the video posted on Truth Social. “I’m proud to endorse and encourage you to get this Bible. We must make America pray again.”

Billing itself as “the only Bible endorsed by President Trump!” the new venture’s website calls it “Easy-to-read” with “large print” and a “slim design” that “invites you to explore God’s Word anywhere, any time.”

Besides a King James Version translation, it includes copies of the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the Declaration of Independence and the Pledge of Allegiance, as well as a handwritten chorus of the famous Greenwood song.

The Bible is just the latest commercial venture that Trump has pursued while campaigning.

Last month, he debuted a new line of Trump-branded sneakers , including $399 gold “Never Surrender High-Tops,” at Sneaker Con in Philadelphia. The venture behind the shoes, 45Footwear, also sells other Trump-branded footwear, cologne and perfume.

Trump has also dabbled in NFTs, or nonfungible tokens, and last year reported earning between $100,000 and $1 million from a series of digital trading cards that portrayed him in cartoon-like images, including as an astronaut, a cowboy and a superhero.

Donald Trump is facing four criminal indictments, and a civil lawsuit. You can track all of the cases here .

He has also released books featuring photos of his time in office and letters written to him through the years.

The Bible’s website states the product “is not political and has nothing to do with any political campaign.”

“GodBlessTheUSABible.com is not owned, managed or controlled by Donald J. Trump, The Trump Organization, CIC Ventures LLC or any of their respective principals or affiliates,” it says.

Instead, it says, “GodBlessTheUSABible.com uses Donald J. Trump’s name, likeness and image under paid license from CIC Ventures LLC, which license may be terminated or revoked according to its terms.”

CIC Ventures LLC, a company that Trump reported owning in his 2023 financial disclosure, has a similar arrangement with 45Footwear, which also says it uses Trump’s “name, likeness and image under paid license from CIC Ventures LLC, which license may be terminated or revoked according to its terms.”

A Trump spokesperson and God Bless the USA Bible did not immediately respond to questions about how much Trump was paid for the licensing deal or stands to make from each book sale.

Trump remains deeply popular with white evangelical Christians , who are among his most ardent supporters, even though the thrice-married former reality TV star has a long history of behavior that often seemed at odds with teachings espoused by Christ in the Gospels.

When he was running in 2016, Trump raised eyebrows when he cited “Two Corinthians” at Liberty University, instead of the standard “Second Corinthians.”

When asked to share his favorite Bible verse in an interview with Bloomberg Politics in 2015, he demurred.

“I wouldn’t want to get into it. Because to me, that’s very personal,” he said. “The Bible means a lot to me, but I don’t want to get into specifics.”

When he was president, law enforcement officers aggressively removed racial justice protesters from a park near the White House, allowing Trump to walk to nearby St. John’s Church, where he stood alone and raised a Bible. The scene was condemned at the time by the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington.

Before he ran for office, Trump famously hawked everything from frozen steaks to vodka to a venture named Trump University, which was later sued for fraud .

How true is Regina King biopic on Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman elected to Congress?

Shirley Chisholm was the first Black woman elected to Congress, and a new movie is telling her story.

"Shirley," out now on Netflix, focuses on Chisholm's run for the 1972 Democratic presidential nomination and the events surrounding her campaign.

Chisholm was a force in Congress , fighting for her constituents while facing racism and sexism. She also influenced some of today's politicians, a few of whom are shown in the film.

The biopic stars Regina King as Chisholm and was written and directed by John Ridley.

Did another congressman really confront Chisholm about pay?

In the film, a congressman (Robert Craighead) stops Chisholm in the hallway to tell her he can't believe she makes the same salary as he does, and despite the smile on his face, the comment is clearly antagonistic. Chisholm hits back, saying he can steer clear of her if it bothers him so much.

Chisholm really was repeatedly confronted by other congressmen about pay, says author and professor Glenn L. Starks, who co-wrote "A Seat at the Table: The Life and Times of Shirley Chisholm" (2024) with F. Erik Brooks.

While the character in the movie may be a combination of several people, there was one Southern congressman in particular, Starks says, who kept pointing out how much money she made, expressing disbelief that a Black woman would be in Congress and earn the same amount he did. Chisholm stood up to him, Starks said, and would respond, "Yes, I do."

Did Chisholm and her sister really have such a distant relationship?

Yes, Chisholm's relationship with her sister, Muriel (played by Reina King, Regina King's sister, in the film), wasn't very warm. Her relationship with all of her sisters (she had two others in addition to Muriel) was reportedly a little frosty.

"It's because they believed Shirley was their father's favorite," Starks says. Money she received from their father may have put a further strain on the relationship.

But when Chisholm died in 2005, Muriel did attend her funeral in Florida, though her other sister did not, Starks says.

Did Chisholm really push back on agricultural assignment?

Yes, Chisholm did. In the film, Chisholm is told that Speaker of the House John McCormack (played by Ken Strunk), has assigned her to serve on the House Agriculture Committee. As a representative for Brooklyn, she thought the placement wasn't relevant to her district and appealed the appointment .

She was eventually also placed on the Veterans' Affairs Committee, but she did make some changes while on the agricultural committee. It's not shown in the film, but Chisholm did play a role in the creation of the Special Supplement Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program and expansion of the food stamp program.

What was Chisholm's relationship to Barbara Lee?

The movie shows so many people who worked with Chisholm through her presidential campaign, and there is one person in particular who speaks at the end of the film: the real Congresswoman Barbara Lee .

Chisholm had a huge influence on the life and career of Barbara Lee (played by Christina Jackson), beyond what is shown in the film.

"They first met when Barbara Lee was in college," Starsk says. "She was a single mother and on welfare. She had to write a paper about politics. She went to visit Shirley Chisholm and told her she didn't like politics and was only writing the paper because she had to." Chisholm remind Lee how important politics are, Starks says, and Lee later worked with Chisholm.

"To this day, the influence is still there," Starks says. "When Kamala Harris was inaugurated, Barbara Lee attended and actually wore Shirley Chisholm's pearls to the inauguration."

Lee has been an influential congresswoman herself, Starks says, and her whole political career stemmed from meeting and working with Chisholm when she was a college student and young mother.

Did Chisholm really visit George Wallace after he was shot?

Yes, Chisholm did go to the hospital to visit political rival Alabama Gov. George Wallace when he was shot in 1972 in an assassination attempt. The visit was brief, lasting about 15 minutes. Her visit to Wallace, a supporter of segregation and other opposing ideologies, surprised Chisholm's supporters and Wallace himself, Starks says.

"People were shocked," Starks says. "Other politicians also went there. I think the only surprise by her going was because she was a Black female."

Lee was one of the people who questioned Chisholm about her visit to Wallace. Starks says Chisholm told Lee, "I'm treating him the same way a human being should be treated."

Did some of Chisholm's allies really switch support to McGovern at the last minute?

Yes. The film's focus on Chisholm's presidential campaign follows her seeking support – and delegates – from the members of the Congressional Black Caucus and allies.

"( Walter Fauntroy ) really did at the last minute give all the promised delegates to (other possible nominee George) McGovern," Starks says, "and it really upset her."

And Chisholm really trusted Ron Dellums , and abruptly losing his support and not receiving his nomination at the convention was "a humongous betrayal," Starks says.

Did Chisholm really run for president to be a catalyst for change?

Toward the end of the film, Chisholm says her intention in running for president was to be a catalyst for change and show Americans their votes do matter. And yes, Starks says, that's a big part of her motivation in politics.

"She was tired of all the disenfranchised voices not having a say in politics," Starks says. "Her whole life in Brooklyn, running for the New York Assembly, her whole life in Congress, she always ran as the underdog who went out and supported women's rights, gay rights, poor people. She supported people whose voices were not heard. She was tired of people getting votes from the Black community, but never doing anything for them. From the time she got involved in politics in college, it's really who she was."

• Teen & Young Adult
• Literature & Fiction
• Social & Family Issues
• Prejudice & Racism

Enjoy a free trial on us P.when("A", "a-expander", "ready").execute(function(A, expander) { A.on("a:accordion:buybox-accordion:select", function(data) { // Change active accordion pricing to APEX pricing A.$("#buyBoxAccordion").find(".accordion-header div#adbl_bb_price") .removeClass("adbl_bb_price_show").addClass("adbl_bb_price_hide"); A.$(data.selectedRow.$row).find(".accordion-header div#adbl_bb_price") .removeClass("adbl_bb_price_hide").addClass("adbl_bb_price_show"); //initialize accordion expander expander.initializeExpanders(); }); }); /* Display price in a table block so it does not overflow, ref: https://t.corp.amazon.com/D76383263 */ #adbl_bb_price { display: table; } /* APEX Pricing for Mobile & MobileApp */ .adbl_bb_price_show .adbl_bb_savings_percent { color: #CC0C39; font-size: 36px; font-weight: 300; } .adbl_bb_price_hide .adbl_bb_savings_percent { color: #CC0C39; font-size: 24px; font-weight: 300; } .adbl_bb_pay_price { font-weight: 400; } .adbl_bb_price_show .a-price-whole { font-size: 38px; } .adbl_bb_price_hide .a-price-whole { font-size: 24px; } .adbl_bb_price_show .a-price-symbol, .adbl_bb_price_show .a-price-fraction { display: table-caption; font-size: 15px !important; line-height: 26px; } .adbl_bb_price_hide .a-price-symbol, .adbl_bb_price_hide .a-price-fraction { display: table-caption; font-size: 13px !important; line-height: 10px; } #mobile_buybox .adbl_bb_price_show .a-price-symbol, #mobile_buybox .adbl_bb_price_show .a-price-fraction { display: inline-block !important; top: -15px !important; } #mobile_buybox .adbl_bb_price_hide .a-price-symbol, #mobile_buybox .adbl_bb_price_hide .a-price-fraction { display: inline-block !important; } #mobileapp_buybox .adbl_bb_price_show .a-price-symbol, #mobileapp_buybox .adbl_bb_price_show .a-price-fraction { display: inline-block !important; top: -15px !important; } #mobileapp_buybox .adbl_bb_price_hide .a-price-symbol, #mobileapp_buybox .adbl_bb_price_hide .a-price-fraction { display: inline-block !important; } /* APEX Pricing for Desktop */ #desktop_buybox .adbl_bb_price_show .adbl_bb_savings_percent { color: #CC0C39; font-size: 24px; font-weight: 300; } #desktop_buybox .adbl_bb_price_hide .adbl_bb_savings_percent { color: #CC0C39; font-size: 21px; font-weight: 300; } #desktop_buybox .adbl_bb_pay_price { font-weight: 400; } #desktop_buybox .adbl_bb_price_show .a-price-whole { font-size: 28px; } #desktop_buybox .adbl_bb_price_hide .a-price-whole { font-size: 21px; } #desktop_buybox .adbl_bb_price_show .a-price-symbol, #desktop_buybox .adbl_bb_price_show .a-price-fraction { display: inline-block; font-size: 13px !important; line-height: 16px; top:-10px !important; } #desktop_buybox .adbl_bb_price_hide .a-price-symbol, #desktop_buybox .adbl_bb_price_hide .a-price-fraction { display: inline-block; font-size: 12px !important; line-height: 9px; } $0.00 $ 0 . 00

• Click above for unlimited listening to select audiobooks, Audible Originals, and podcasts.
• One credit a month to pick any title from our entire premium selection — yours to keep (you'll use your first credit now).
• You will get an email reminder before your trial ends.
• $14.95 $14.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel online anytime.

Buy with 1-Click P.when("A", "a-expander", "ready").execute(function(A, expander) { A.on("a:accordion:buybox-accordion:select", function(data) { // Change active accordion pricing to APEX pricing A.$("#buyBoxAccordion").find(".accordion-header div#adbl_bb_price") .removeClass("adbl_bb_price_show").addClass("adbl_bb_price_hide"); A.$(data.selectedRow.$row).find(".accordion-header div#adbl_bb_price") .removeClass("adbl_bb_price_hide").addClass("adbl_bb_price_show"); //initialize accordion expander expander.initializeExpanders(); }); }); /* Display price in a table block so it does not overflow, ref: https://t.corp.amazon.com/D76383263 */ #adbl_bb_price { display: table; } /* APEX Pricing for Mobile & MobileApp */ .adbl_bb_price_show .adbl_bb_savings_percent { color: #CC0C39; font-size: 36px; font-weight: 300; } .adbl_bb_price_hide .adbl_bb_savings_percent { color: #CC0C39; font-size: 24px; font-weight: 300; } .adbl_bb_pay_price { font-weight: 400; } .adbl_bb_price_show .a-price-whole { font-size: 38px; } .adbl_bb_price_hide .a-price-whole { font-size: 24px; } .adbl_bb_price_show .a-price-symbol, .adbl_bb_price_show .a-price-fraction { display: table-caption; font-size: 15px !important; line-height: 26px; } .adbl_bb_price_hide .a-price-symbol, .adbl_bb_price_hide .a-price-fraction { display: table-caption; font-size: 13px !important; line-height: 10px; } #mobile_buybox .adbl_bb_price_show .a-price-symbol, #mobile_buybox .adbl_bb_price_show .a-price-fraction { display: inline-block !important; top: -15px !important; } #mobile_buybox .adbl_bb_price_hide .a-price-symbol, #mobile_buybox .adbl_bb_price_hide .a-price-fraction { display: inline-block !important; } #mobileapp_buybox .adbl_bb_price_show .a-price-symbol, #mobileapp_buybox .adbl_bb_price_show .a-price-fraction { display: inline-block !important; top: -15px !important; } #mobileapp_buybox .adbl_bb_price_hide .a-price-symbol, #mobileapp_buybox .adbl_bb_price_hide .a-price-fraction { display: inline-block !important; } /* APEX Pricing for Desktop */ #desktop_buybox .adbl_bb_price_show .adbl_bb_savings_percent { color: #CC0C39; font-size: 24px; font-weight: 300; } #desktop_buybox .adbl_bb_price_hide .adbl_bb_savings_percent { color: #CC0C39; font-size: 21px; font-weight: 300; } #desktop_buybox .adbl_bb_pay_price { font-weight: 400; } #desktop_buybox .adbl_bb_price_show .a-price-whole { font-size: 28px; } #desktop_buybox .adbl_bb_price_hide .a-price-whole { font-size: 21px; } #desktop_buybox .adbl_bb_price_show .a-price-symbol, #desktop_buybox .adbl_bb_price_show .a-price-fraction { display: inline-block; font-size: 13px !important; line-height: 16px; top:-10px !important; } #desktop_buybox .adbl_bb_price_hide .a-price-symbol, #desktop_buybox .adbl_bb_price_hide .a-price-fraction { display: inline-block; font-size: 12px !important; line-height: 9px; } -12% $19.69 $ 19 . 69

The assignment audible audiobook – unabridged.

A Sydney Taylor Notable Book

Inspired by a real-life incident, this riveting novel explores discrimination and antisemitism and reveals their dangerous impact.

Would you defend the indefensible?

That's what seniors Logan March and Cade Crawford are asked to do when a favorite teacher instructs a group of students to argue for the Final Solution - the Nazi plan for the genocide of the Jewish people. Logan and Cade decide they must take a stand, and soon their actions draw the attention of the student body, the administration, and the community at large. But not everyone feels as Logan and Cade do - after all, isn't a school debate just a school debate? It's not long before the situation explodes, and acrimony and anger result.

Based on true events, The Assignment asks: What does it take for tolerance, justice, and love to prevail?

"An important look at a critical moment in history through a modern lens showcasing the power of student activism." (SLJ)

• Listening Length 8 hours and 56 minutes
• Author Liza Wiemer
• Narrator Emily Lawrence, see all
• Audible release date August 25, 2020
• Language English
• Publisher Listening Library
• ASIN B085LP3F7W
• Version Unabridged
• Program Type Audiobook
• See all details

Read & Listen

People who viewed this also viewed.

People who bought this also bought

Related to this topic

Product details

Customer reviews.

Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.

To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.

Reviews with images

• Sort reviews by Top reviews Most recent Top reviews

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. please try again later..

• Amazon Newsletter
• About Amazon
• Accessibility
• Sustainability
• Press Center
• Investor Relations
• Amazon Devices
• Amazon Science
• Start Selling with Amazon
• Sell apps on Amazon
• Supply to Amazon
• Protect & Build Your Brand
• Become an Affiliate
• Become a Delivery Driver
• Start a Package Delivery Business
• Advertise Your Products
• Self-Publish with Us
• Host an Amazon Hub
• › See More Ways to Make Money
• Amazon Visa
• Amazon Store Card
• Amazon Secured Card
• Amazon Business Card
• Shop with Points
• Credit Card Marketplace
• Reload Your Balance
• Amazon Currency Converter
• Your Account
• Your Orders
• Shipping Rates & Policies
• Amazon Prime
• Returns & Replacements
• Manage Your Content and Devices
• Recalls and Product Safety Alerts
• Conditions of Use
• Privacy Notice
• Consumer Health Data Privacy Disclosure
• Your Ads Privacy Choices

• Share full article

Advertisement

Supported by

The Bizarre Chinese Murder Plot Behind Netflix’s ‘3 Body Problem’

Lin Qi, a billionaire who helped produce the science-fiction hit, was poisoned to death by a disgruntled executive. His attacker now faces the death penalty.

By David Pierson

Lin Qi was a billionaire with a dream. The video game tycoon had wanted to turn one of China’s most famous science-fiction novels, “The Three-Body Problem,” into a global hit. He had started working with Netflix and the creators of the HBO series “Game of Thrones” to bring the alien invasion saga to international audiences.

But Mr. Lin did not live to see “ 3 Body Problem ” premiere on Netflix last month, drawing millions of viewers.

He was poisoned to death in Shanghai in 2020, at age 39, by a disgruntled colleague, in a killing that riveted the country’s tech and video-gaming circles where he had been a prominent rising star. That colleague, Xu Yao, a 43-year-old former executive in Mr. Lin’s company, was last month sentenced to death for murder by a court in Shanghai, which called his actions “extremely despicable.”

The court has made few specific details public, but Mr. Lin’s killing was, as a Chinese news outlet put it, “as bizarre as a Hollywood blockbuster.” Chinese media reports, citing sources in his company and court documents, have described a tale of deadly corporate ambition and rivalry with a macabre edge. Sidelined at work, Mr. Xu reportedly exacted vengeance with meticulous planning, including by testing poisons on small animals in a makeshift lab. (He not only killed Mr. Lin, but also poisoned his own replacement.)

Mr. Lin had spent millions of dollars in 2014 buying up copyrights and licenses connected to the original Chinese science-fiction book, “The Three-Body Problem,” and two others in a trilogy written by the Chinese author Liu Cixin. “The Three-Body Problem” tells the story of an engineer, called upon by the Chinese authorities to look into a spate of suicides by scientists, who discovers an extraterrestrial plot. Mr. Lin had wanted to build a franchise of global television shows and films akin to “Star Wars” and centered on the novels.

Mr. Lin would eventually link up with David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, the creators of the television series “Game of Thrones,” to work on the Netflix project. Mr. Lin’s gaming company, Youzu Interactive, which goes by Yoozoo in English, is no stranger to the HBO hit; its best-known release is an online strategy game based on the show called “Game of Thrones: Winter Is Coming.”

Mr. Lin’s fate would change when he hired Mr. Xu, a lawyer, in 2017 to head a subsidiary of Yoozoo called The Three-Body Universe that held the rights to Mr. Liu’s novels. But not long afterward, Mr. Xu was demoted and his pay was cut, apparently because of poor performance. He became furious, according to the Chinese business magazine Caixin.

As Mr. Xu plotted his revenge, Caixin reported, he built a lab in an outlying district of Shanghai where he experimented with hundreds of poisons he bought off the dark web by testing them on dogs and cats and other pets. Caixin said Mr. Xu was both fascinated and inspired by the American hit TV series “Breaking Bad,” about a cancer-stricken chemistry teacher who teaches himself to make and sell methamphetamine, eventually becoming a drug lord.

Between September and December 2020, Mr. Xu began spiking beverages such as coffee, whiskey and drinking water with methylmercury chloride and bringing them into the office, Caixin reported, citing court documents. The report’s details could not be independently confirmed.

Calls to Yoozoo and the Shanghai court went unanswered. Netflix did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

“The plot is as bizarre as a Hollywood blockbuster, and the technique is professional enough to be called the Chinese version of ‘Breaking Bad,’” Phoenix News, a Chinese news outlet, said last month.

According to a story by The Hollywood Reporter in January, Mr. Benioff said the killing was “certainly disconcerting.” “When you work in this business, you’re expecting all sorts of issues to arise. Somebody poisoning the boss is not generally one of them,” he was quoted as saying.

Police arrested Mr. Xu on Dec. 18, 2020, the Shanghai No. 1 Intermediate People’s Court said on its official WeChat account as it announced the verdict and sentencing. Mr. Xu reportedly declined to confess to the crime and did not disclose what poison he had used, complicating doctors’ efforts to save Mr. Lin’s life.

The court said that Mr. Xu had plotted to poison Mr. Lin and four other people over an office dispute. Its post included a picture of a bespectacled Mr. Xu in the courtroom wearing an oversized beige cardigan surrounded by three police officers. The statement said more than 50 people, including members of Mr. Xu’s and Mr. Lin’s family, attended the sentencing.

The Three-Body Universe, the Yoozoo subsidiary, did not respond to a request for comment, but its chief executive, Zhao Jilong, posted on his WeChat account, “Justice has been served,” according to Chinese state media.

Before his untimely death, Mr. Lin was something of a celebrity in the world of young Chinese entrepreneurs. He had built his fortune in the early 2010s, riding a wave of popularity for mobile games. His bid to popularize Mr. Liu’s novels was a rare attempt to export Chinese popular culture — something that has eluded China as its government yearns to wield the same soft power the United States commands with its movies, music and sports stars.

Six years after “The Three-Body Problem” was first published in 2008, an English version translated by Ken Liu was released to widespread acclaim. The book won the Hugo Award, a major science-fiction prize, for best novel. It counted Barack Obama and Mark Zuckerberg among its fans.

While Netflix is not available in China, “3 Body Problem” has still set off a backlash among Chinese viewers who have been able to access the platform by using virtual private networks, or who have seen pirated versions of the show. Users on Chinese social media expressed anger that the Netflix adaptation Westernized aspects of the story, and said the show sought to demonize some of the Chinese characters.

Even the People’s Liberation Army’s propaganda wing has weighed in on the series. In an editorial published on Saturday on its website, China Military Online, it called the Netflix series an example of American “cultural hegemony.”

“It can be clearly seen that after the United States seized this popular intellectual property with its superpower strength, it wanted to transform and remake it,” the editorial said. “The purpose was to eliminate as much as possible the reputation of modern China.”

Li You contributed research.

David Pierson covers Chinese foreign policy and China’s economic and cultural engagement with the world. He has been a journalist for more than two decades. More about David Pierson

The Wild, Unbelievable True Story of the Struggle to Get 'The People’s Joker’ Released

Did they really try to drown this indie film in a bucket of acid?

The Big Picture

• Vera Drew's The People's Joker is an independent film depicting a transmasculine Joker, offering a fresh take on a DC character.
• Despite legal battles with Warner Bros., the film will be released on April 5 by Altered Innocence, showcasing themes of parody and fair use.
• The excitement surrounding The People's Joker began in 2019, unveiling Drew's journey in creating the film and her vision for a trilogy.

Everybody is talking about the Joker. Well, every film nerd, at least, is talking about the Joker. And, sure, Todd Phillips ’ upcoming Joker: Folie à Deux has recently made the news with the announcement that it will be a jukebox musical , but that’s not why the iconic Batman villain is at the top of our minds. No, the Joker that we’re all waiting to see is Vera Drew’s Joker the Harlequin, a.k.a. The People’s Joker , the protagonist of a film that many thought would never see the light of day and that is now set to hit theaters on April 5.

There are a lot of reasons for the excitement surrounding this film. For starters, Drew’s project seems like an honest and still deeply entertaining depiction of what it’s like to grow up as a transgender person and how to best live your identity in the comedy world. It is a synopsis that matches Drew’s experiences growing up and making a name for herself in the industry. The trailer promises a wild ride from start to finish, complete with a trans-masculine Mr. J ( Kane Distler ) that rips Jared Leto ’s take on the classic villain to shreds and a fascist Batman. In a world in which our media landscape is flooded with big IPs being revived and rebooted to no end and spoofs on entertainment juggernauts that have just reached the public domain, like Pooh: Blood and Honey , such a subversive and heartfelt take on a DC character sure feels like a breath of fresh air. And that’s not all: crowdfunded and made by a team of 200 artists, The People’s Joker is one of those rare fully independent movies with the hopes of reaching a wide audience.

There is, however, a catch - the real reason behind the whole hullabaloo surrounding the film. As the "fully independent" part of the previous paragraph might have given away, The People’s Joker is not authorized by or affiliated with Warner Bros. Discovery , who currently owns DC Entertainment, and thus Batman, all of his friends, and his foes. That means that, before reaching screens all over the U.S., The People’s Joker had to fight an uphill battle that encompassed a cease and desist from Warner Bros. and getting pulled out of some major film festivals. Or did it ? Well, the actual story is a little more nuanced than that. Though The People’s Joker did indeed have to deal with some legal concerns between its debut at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and its release in theaters, there was no actual cease and desist involved. That being said, what really happened with The People’s Joker ?

The People's Joker (2024)

An aspiring clown grappling with her gender identity combats a fascistic caped crusader.

The Story of 'The People’s Joker' Begins Back in 2019

Vera Drew began working towards what would eventually become The People’s Joker in 2019. Or maybe it all started back when she was a kid, still in the closet and experiencing Joel Schumacher ’s Batman Forever for the first time. Drew dedicates her movie to Schumacher, as well as her mother, and has stated that her trans awakening happened during a Val Kilmer and Nicole Kidman love scene - the performers play Batman and his love interest, Dr. Chase Meridian, in Batman Forever , in which she realized that she truly wanted to be Nicole. Either way, in 2019, Todd Phillips’ take on the Joker came out in theaters, paving the way for what would eventually become Drew’s pet project . Phillips’ Joker is a Batman-less Batman movie that stars Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck, a destitute, miserable, and mentally ill clown who eventually turns into a criminal mastermind and leads the whole town of Gotham into upheaval. Despite being generally well-received , the film was deeply criticized by many pundits and audience members alike for what was perceived as a depiction of white male rage as righteous and thus had a certain affiliation with incel culture . The film was also memed to death, with the scene in which Phoenix’s Fleck dances in full costume on a flight of stairs becoming particularly inescapable online.

Let’s put a pin on all that and circle back to Drew. In 2019, the director, making her feature film debut, was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Picture Editing for Variety Programming for her work on Sacha Baron Cohen ’s satirical show Who Is America? It was her first nomination, despite her previous work in acclaimed comedy series such as Comedy Bang! Bang! and The Eric Andre Show . On top of that, the nod came just two months after she came out as transgender to her friends, family, and coworkers. “It’s perfect timing because the week before I found out I was nominated, I had just decided to have people start calling me by my name!” she told Them at an interview . This all happened around August and September, and a little more than six months later, Drew and the rest of the world would find themselves locked at home, facing that pandemic that we are still reeling from. During this period, Bri LeRose, Drew's cowriter for The People's Joker , commissioned her friend to make "the Vera Drew found footage remix of Joker (2019) ."

Drew jumped at the chance of creating her own origin story for the Batman villain from footage of Phillips' film Batman Forever and so-called "Jokerfied" covers of queer pop anthems. That's when she began to identify themes within the Batman universe, from mental illness to toxic relationship cycles, and relate to them in a completely new way. "I began to think of Joker, Harley Quinn, and Batman as modern literary figures and suddenly, an aha moment happened: my 'illegal found footage film' actually needed to be an autobiographical queer coming of age story that explores all of these things within the bounds of parody law and fair use. I circled back to Bri, and we ended up writing an original screenplay," Drew told Women and Hollywood at the time of her movie's TIFF debut. From then on, she started to put together a team of artists and gather money to fund her vision , a trippy version of Gotham and the Joker's story in which Jason Todd's Robin is an abusive boyfriend who was once groomed to be Batman's lover and in which stock footage, matte paintings, and 3D modeling combine to create a surreal universe.

‘The People’s Joker’ Run at the Toronto International Film Festival Was Short-Lived

Things were looking promising for Drew, who even got big names such as Tim Heidecker and Bob Odenkirk to play small roles in her film. Everything was supposed to culminate in the moment of glory, the film’s debut at TIFF 2022. However, things didn’t go as planned. The movie was shown on September 13, but on the following day, all subsequent showings were canceled at Drew’s request - at least, according to the festival’s organization . Though reviews were initially quite positive , the film had to deal with some rights issues. That’s where the drama began and when most people first heard of The People’s Joker . At the time wrongfully reported as a cease and desist, Drew and her team received a strongly worded email from Warner Bros. saying, in her words , “We think this infringes on our brand, and we would like you to show this email to anybody that wants to buy the film or screen the film.” With such a threatening letter in hand, it felt like a smart move to withdraw the movie from festivals in general. Instead, Drew went back to holding “secret screenings” of the film and searching for a distributor that would have her baby’s back .

After all, the director was adamant that, despite the film’s logline announcing it as an “illegal comic movie about a transgender clown named Joker”, The People’s Joker was never anywhere near illegal . Well, perhaps just in those first few cuts that still had scenes from other peoples’ movies. “I think this film can be 100% distributed. It is completely protected under fair use and copyright law. Like a parody law. The only thing that makes it weird in both of those categories is nobody's ever taken characters and IP and really personalized it in this way. So I think that's the thing that really kind of makes it seem a lot more dangerous than I actually think it is,” she told Collider . “I mean, I get it, look, I put an ‘illegal comic book movie’ on the poster, but that was just to get your butts in the seats. There's literally no reason for anybody to worry, I think, about legal repercussions with this. Without getting into it, we've gone really far to ensure that we could do this. I probably wouldn't have spent two years of my life making an actually illegal Joker movie.”

Her logic was that her movie fell under the parody category of copyright violation law and was thus protected. Drew told Decider that before the TIFF debut, she had been in touch with a law firm specializing in intellectual property and licensing for documentaries. She has also spoken more than once about how surprised she was that Warner Bros. took so long to come after her, considering that many people involved in DC projects were already well aware of what she was working on. “I kind of assumed it was fine because I hadn’t heard from Warner Bros. the entire time I was making it,” she said in an interview with The New York Times . “I worked at Adult Swim for a number of years, which is owned by Warner Bros. After every meeting, I would say, ‘Hey, just so you know, I’m working on a Joker parody!’ And everyone was always like, ‘That sounds awesome!’” But the fact that Warner Bros. came after the film left a dent in The People’s Joker ’s reputation. Well, it also did wonders for it, making the film more widely known. But Drew had to recast a key performer due to the accusations of IP violation: originally, Saturday Night Live ’s Sarah Sherman was featured as the voice of Lorne Michaels - yes, the Lorne Michaels - and bailed at the last moment. She was then replaced by Maria Bamford .

Two Years After Its Festival Debut, ‘The People’s Joker’ Gets a Release

Thankfully, though, Drew and her team managed to get it all sorted out, and, in 2023 it was announced that The People’s Joker had found a home at Altered Innocence , an indie distributor devoted to amplifying queer voices. The movie received a release date of April 5, 2024. According to Deadline , Drew and Altered Innocence are yet to explain how they sorted the whole legal debacle but are making it clear that the film is “in no way created by, endorsed by, or affiliated with DC Comics or any of its related companies.”

After hitting New York on April 5, The People’s Joker will move on to other cities, with the list of showings available on Altered Innocence’s website . With a trailer out , Drew is now getting ready to turn her pet project into a trilogy, as per an interview with Blood Knife . The next movie will incorporate elements of A Nightmare on Elm Street . As for the third one, who knows? The whole media landscape is Vera Drew’s playground.

The People's Joker comes out in theaters on April 5, in the U.S.

Get tickets now