A true story of two teenagers and the crime that changed their lives.

The 57 Bus is an extremely thought provoking look into a lot of co-emerging issues causing much confusion and angst in these days of LGBTQ (or whatever it is today), BLM, restorative justice, hate crimes and all that seems to keep sweeping over us these days, while we hunker down hiding from the pandemic.

The story takes place in “less affluent” parts of Oakland, California starting at about the year 2000. The book ends in 2016 without an “ending”, but since this is a true story it clearly continues on into the future. The book is about the lives and challenges of many living not just in the community of Oakland, but in the world at large today with our growing recognition that “gender identity” is much broader than man, woman, gay, lesbian – rather there are dozens of categories, perhaps so many that each person (such as you and me) are different enough that we are all part of an extended continuum rather than discrete categories. I found myself wondering what the big deal is, we are whoever we are and that is just fine. However, obviously it is not such an easy transition for “society” to make the jump from the world being made up of “normal” (man/woman) people, and “those others” (usually thinking of gay/lesbian) people. Now the lid is being removed and we are seeing that there are just people trying to be happy, joyful, comfortable, loving, and included. In addition to being somewhere on the LGBTQ spectrum, several of the people in the book are on some part of “the spectrum” (the autism spectrum that goes from very disturbed to mildly eccentric). All of this plays out in high schools in the middle of a black/brown community ravaged by drugs, violence, poverty and broken homes – where three-strikes and you are out is much of the marching orders for law enforcement and the DA’s office.

While the mix of terrible problems and injustices would seem to result in a rather depressing and anger producing book, the author does a great job of putting it all into a perspective that while is truthful, brought me in enough so it felt like I could “look around” from the inside out, rather than just from the outside in. Things make a lot more sense that way, and in this case there appear to be some shining lights that might point toward a more just and less violent future. In one of the chapters the author touches upon the concept of “restorative justice” as a means for providing justice and closure for the victims of crime, but help the perpetrator(s) and society improve rather then merely punishing the perpetrator. It is an interesting, and apparently powerful, tool for working toward a more just and functional society.

While this book is just a story of events happening to a few select people, it is written in a way that invites the reader to think more deeply about their roles in all of this, and in perhaps getting a bit more compassion to those that find themselves entwined in a difficult and dangerous society.