The Helen Bernstein Book Award for Excellence in Journalism, established in 1988, annually honors a journalist whose books have brought clarity and public attention to important issues, events, or policies. Meet this year’s shortlist, with a few words from the committee members.

The Library is hosting free events with the finalists in April and May. Register for conversations with Dan Ephron (Thursday, April 28), Larissa MacFarquhar (Monday, May 9), and Åsne Seierstad (Monday, May 16, 2016).

Ghettoside: A True Story of Murder in America by Jill Leovy

Leovy’s central argument is that if the police don’t solve murders, street justice will prevail. We need police that respect communities and communities that respect the police. But the strong sense of place, the cast of characters, and the heartbreaking circumstances of the cases and everyone involved, make the book extraordinary. The writing is gritty and compelling.

This book grabbed me from the very first pages and did not let me go. - Karen Gisonny

Remarkably concentrated, this is a highly detailed account of urban violence, its impact on city communities, and a dedicated effort to deal with it effectively. - David Callahan

 

Killing a King: The Assassination of Yitzhak Rabin and the Remaking of Israel by Dan Ephron

Ephron writes the parallel histories of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and his assassin Yigal Amir. The  suspense as the two characters come closer and closer together, is palpable. The reader is left, stunned, after it is all over, to reflect on how the events recounted here shaped the current Israel. 

A twentieth-century Shakespearian story if there ever was one. —Ken Johnson

What I most admired about this book is the insight it provides into Israel today.  —Sheryl Katzin

 

One of Us: The Story of Anders Breivik and the Massacre in Norway by Åsne Seierstad

One reviewer called One of Us “unflinching.” The reader is, indeed, made to bear witness to a bombing and subsequent cold-blooded, systematic, massacre of 69 young people. But the book is so much more than the 70 pages of haunting true horror. It is the story of Breivik: unfit mother and distant father,  difficulty fitting in, five year seclusion and obsession with an online video game, racist, right-wing political views. The book includes profiles of some of the victims and their families. It touches on Norway’s debate over immigration at the time and its changing national character. The reader is privy to the many police and security missteps that allow the shooting to go on as long as it does. Finally, there is the trial and the question of whether Breivik is a narcissistic sociopath or a political terrorist. Do not miss the epilogue where the reporter reveals her sources and research. It is nothing less than a monumental work of journalism.

This was the first book I read for the committee this year, and it was so hard being alone with it. I couldn’t wait to pass it on to the next round so someone else would have to live it with me. —Lynn Lobash

In this country we are all painfully familiar with the lone gunman who goes on a murder binge, and the aftermath of horror and trying to understand the reasons. This episode took place in Norway, and the investigation into the reasons is brilliantly conveyed in this book. —Francie Einenkel

The Prize: Who’s In Charge of America’s Schools? by  Dale Russakoff

Russakoff was privilege to deep access to Mark Zuckerberg, Chris Christie, and Cory Booker, and the reader gets to ride along as she watches them run through $100 million dollars trying to fix Newark public schools and create a template that will work anywhere and everywhere else. There are many important lessons to learn here.

"Behind-the-scenes" doesn't do this book justice. Russakoff's reporting and storytelling is so masterful and her access to the Newark schools experiment so remarkable that I felt I was there in New Jersey, facing the overwhelming obstacles to true reform while witnessing the heart-wrenching need faced by teachers, parents, and students. This book moves from board room to classroom effortlessly to take a complete look at one critical effort—and by extension, the American educational system. —Angela Montefinise

It’s got quite a cast of characters - Mark Zuckerberg, Priscilla Chan, Chris Christie, Cory Booker – but The Prize gives equal time to the beleaguered people of Newark, ensnared in a bureaucratic web that not even the most advantaged among us can undo. - David Callahan

 

Strangers Drowning: Grappling with Impossible Idealism, Drastic Choices, and the Overpowering Urge to Help by Larissa MacFarquhar

This book is about extreme do-gooders, whose self-sacrifice and ethical commitment are far outside what we think of as the normal range. A couple who adopts 20 children, another couple who found a leper colony, people who dumpster dive for food so they can give away as much money as possible. The profiles are taut, and there is just the right number of them. They are interspersed with essay-like chapters.

I loved this book! The whole thing felt so singular and fresh. —Lynn Lobash

MacFarquhar's symphonic writing style weaves disparate stories and themes into a harmonious whole, and allows us to appreciate what we might not understand. —Ken Johnson

We hope to see you at an upcoming Bernstein finalist conversation event.

The 2016 Bernstein Committee

Left to Right: Beth Hayes, Sheryl Katzin, Angela Montefinisi, Ken Johnson, David Callahan, Karen Gisonny, Lynn Lobash, Francie Einenkel