Summary: Short stories about nonviolent revolution beginning in 1986 when unarmed citizens used 'People Power' to overcome the dictator Ferdinand Marcos in the Philippines to the various nonviolent movements in Eastern Europe in 1989. Each of these stories presents an ordinary character who is forced to show extraordinary courage in the face of violent oppression.
Review: A powerful collection of stories.
These stories are fiction, but have the ring of truth. I know the stories are based off of true events, but they can be applied to just about any situation where nonviolence could be applied. I appreciated the introduction that Sanderson provided about the history of nonviolence. It gave a good context for the stories. I did not realize how widespread nonviolence was and still is. There is a large focus on the year 1989.
My favorite story was "Imelda's Shoes." It is about a reporter who makes a significant impact due to his stories. It is a very powerful story and shows that while the media can cause harm, it can cause a lot of good and spread powerful messages. I found some of the stories more emotional than the rest of the stories. The story that was just journal entries was my least favorite and it was downright boring.
Rating:
Recommendation: I would recommend this book to those who enjoy short stories, stories with a broad emotional impact, or stories dealing with civil rights.
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