The Narrative is the way humans explain things to ourselves, and like most of what we invent, it can be used to inform or to obfuscate. Narratives are powerful, and an entrenched narrative in a society is very difficult to dispute, much less dislodge. The narratives of America are very much in play right now, with currents of patriotism and paternalism, generosity and exploitation, diversity and exclusion, unity and retribution swirling madly through our public discourse.

Can Americans be both good and bad, kind and hateful, on the right side and on the wrong side? Since we are humans, how can we not? The narrative of, We built a great country but we had to ride roughshod over a lot of people to do it is simply not as compelling as the narrative, We did our very best and though not perfect the positives vastly outweigh the negatives.

Most difficult is the realization that a narrative we’ve been believing for a long time is not completely true. We all encounter inconvenient truths in life, perhaps as a poor job review, a lower than expected grade, an unanticipated breakup, or a recording of ourselves singing. Such revelations, while initially painful and unwelcome, can lead to strengthening changes if we are open enough to consider them.

The Message is a new book by Ta-nehisi Coates, a daring challenge to many of our most closely held narratives, which has incited critical responses ranging from vitriol to acclamation. In it, Coates travels to South Carolina, Senegal, and Palestine hoping to clarify some of his own life experiences and observations. At each location he probes the narratives he has internalized, comparing them to the reality in situ. The result combines history and revelation into an extraordinarily thoughtful and moving personal account, an account that starts with his own soul and expands to embrace the world.

I love this book, a compelling mental journey described step by step in an almost intimate exploration of his thought processes. He revisits his own past as well, exploring his experiences and thoughts as a younger person, as a successful writer, and as a seeker. All of these pieces come together to form a moving and persuasive whole.

I loved it, but I can’t do it justice! How The Message made me feel, made me think, and most important, transformed my relationship to and awareness of the ubiquity of Narratives, stands out compared to other books, yet I am simply not finding the words to convey that. Perhaps the Muse is not with me today.