Kelly Hayes, ed., Read this when things fall apart: letters to activists in crisis. Chico, CA: AK Press, 2025. ISBN: 9781849355841.
The book is a collection of letters written by activists for activists. In the struggle, there will be setbacks and defeats. You may come to feel angry, frustrated, tired, ready to give up. That's when this book can help. The book features 21 letters on various topics. Note that some letters do come with a trigger warning. Some letter topics include:
- If you're losing and discouraged.
- If you're panicking about collapse.
- If you are heartbroken.
- If you are struggling with grief.
Whether you are an activist in the trenches or just a decent human being about to lose hope after looking around, this book is for you. It can remind you why the struggle is important. It can bring you comfort in your darkest hour. It can give a bit of healing when you need it. And after you read the book, share it with someone else who may need it.
Though you can read all the letters, you can also pick and choose to read just what you need. You may identify strongly with some topics. Other topics may not call to you as much. I'd say read them anyways and learn something new. The letters bring in a bit of history, personal experiences, and plenty of practical advice. Social justice work and struggle are not easy. This book can bring some written advice and support to keep going in the Hard Times.
I recommend the book for public and academic libraries. In academia, schools with strong programs in social justice, peace studies, and similar fields will want this book. I ordered it for our library, and it is a good fit for us.
Overall this book is an essential reading.
5 out of 5 stars.
Additional reading notes:
What the book is and is not:
"This book is not an organizing handbook. It is a humble, personal offering grounded in an awareness that there are some moments, on all fronts of struggle, when, despite all our best efforts, things fall apart. At such times, we sometimes need a kind thoughtful voice amid the chaos or an outstretched hand to reach for" (3).
The editor notes that the book is no substitute for having a community, but there are also moments community is not enough, and you need a bit more. Consider this book your lifeline for such moments. And maybe these letters may inspire you to write a letter to others.
On living in the United States:
"We live in a class dictatorship thinly disguised as a democracy. Our speech is not free, and the level of surveillance and repression by the state and its parallel institutions has been astounding. Even in our colleges and universities-- institutions whose primary missions are the spread of knowledge and free inquiry-- the will of donors has overruled the edicts of open discourse and student needs" (19).
Book qualifies for the following 2026 Reading Challenge:
