Andrew and Tess are back for the first Tuesday book club of the new year!

Although Andrew usually reads modern Australian fiction, he took the time over the break to sample some of the literary output of other countries.

On this show he shares his thoughts on “We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy”, a collection of essays by African-American author, Ta-Nehisi Coates, that reflect on the Obama years.

Coates is considered one of the foremost observers of race relations in the United States today and makes the case through the essays that white prosperity is built on black exploitation.

What does that mean for us in Australia? Andrew elucidates on the topic of Australian race relations in the run up to Australia Day, and recommends some other books that look at Australian race relations. He also gives a preview of forthcoming book reviews.