In post-Katrina New Orleans, the battle to educate children has been anything but easy. Author Sarah Carr’s new book, Hope Against Hope: Three Schools, One City, and the Struggle to Educate America’s Children, follows three individuals who paint a unique and alarming picture of education in current America. There is Geraldlynn, a 14-year-old who comes home to New Orleans after being displaced by the storm, only to find a completely altered education system. Then there is Aidan—a bright-eyed Harvard grad whose altruistic heart leads him to a teaching job in New Orleans with dreams of building a brand new school. And finally, Mary Laurie: the seasoned principal at one of the first high schools to open its doors after Katrina hit. The stories of these characters show the contemporary and complicated challenges of fixing an academic system that has faced so many obstacles. Hope Against Hope is author Sarah Carr’s non-fiction debut. She will speak at Boswell Book Co. on Tuesday, March 19, at 7 p.m.
