Book #1 Review #2

How much are you willing to dedicate to a cause? Despite all the challenges, all the people telling you’re wrong, all the abuse you suffer through, can you persevere?

Ruth Coker Burks was visiting her friend in the hospital when she heard faint cries from a room labeled “BIOHAZARD”. Inside, was a sickly young man calling out for his mother. Abandoned by the world, he passed with Ruth by his side, helping him through his last moments. This is the start of Burks’ memoir, All the Young Men, where she strives to spread awareness about the AIDS crisis–first in her town of Hot Springs and later on a national level. Burks thus begins her journey to combat the ignorance of the disease prevalent in her Christian town and to directly help those affected by the deadly disease. Throughout all her hardships, from the loss of her job to the death of her ex-husband, Burks continues to fight. She reorganizes her pantry as a medication supply closet. She attends conferences to advocate for the victims of AIDS. She collects blood samples discreetly to test for HIV. Burks keeps going, no matter how hard the journey is.

I’ll admit that when I first started reading the book, I had some apprehension. A straight, white woman telling the story of AID victims seemed a bit too much like the increasing trend of white saviorism in media. But, after finishing the book, I found that her memoir provides a perspective that would not be possible without her specific identity. Burks is essentially cut off by her entire support system when she started her work. Her best friend Sandy drifts away. Her church shuns her during service. She receives not one but two burning crosses on her front lawn.

One night, Burks and her boyfriend, Mitch, go to see a movie, Dances with Wolves. The main character, a Civil War soldier, arrives on the western frontier to an empty fort, abandoned by the soldiers meant to be there. Despite their absence, the soldier maintains the fort, always hoping that the others will return. Watching this movie, Burks poignantly states: “I was coming up on five years of manning the fort. Naively thinking I was just keeping the fort going until the cavalry came.”

Burk’s story is really a story about bravery. Challenging the status quo, Burks did the impossible–challenging an age-old stigma entrenched in the culture of the South. The memoir masterfully carries you through her journey, dividing it into three parts. In Part One, Burks shows the origins of the battle–her humble beginnings. She introduces characters that you grow to love throughout the story. Part Two develops her story, showing both the struggles she endures and the experiences of the young men affected by AIDS. In contrast to the hopeful tone of the other two parts, Part Three has a more somber feel. After getting to know the people Burks met through her work, you now see them succumb to the disease. Surrounded by the season of loss, Burks still soldiers on. Beautifully written, the book carries you through her story, imparting a lesson of perseverance–fighting for what you believe in, no matter the consequences.