This book is a performance piece composed of interviews with various people involved in the 1991 Crown Heights riot. Protest broke out in Crown Heights after a Hasidic spiritual leader ran a red light and swerved onto the sidewalk, killing 7 year old Gavin Cato and injuring his sister Angela. Rumors spread that a Hasidic-run ambulance arrived on scene and only helped the passenger and driver of the car, leaving the two black children in worse condition. In retaliation to this supposed injustice, a group of men stabbed and killed Yankel Rosenbaum, a young Hasidic scholar from Australia, simply because he was Jewish. It's definitely not something I would typically read at my leisure, but I'm glad I did. It sparked curiosity about Hasidic Judaism, racial tension, misunderstandings, and justice.
