Coming Home: (Adapted for Young Adults)

Gr 9 Up–Brittney Griner is a basketball superstar who made international headlines for being arrested and detained in Russia for bringing a small amount of medical cannabis oil into the country. Used as a pawn in Russia and Putin’s war on Ukraine, Griner was detained for 10 months before being released in a prisoner exchange with a Russian arms dealer. In the new young adult adaptation of Griner’s memoir, she vividly shares her journey through the Russian legal system and her fight to return home. Griner’s memoir is not only the story of her time in Russia, it is also about her experiences as a Black woman and lesbian. Griner recalls growing up in Texas, her struggles with body image, and being gay and Black. The memoir incorporates texts and emails to share how Griner coped with being in a foreign country where she did not know the language and had little contact with her family. Griner’s experience examines how different justice systems work, gives insight into the experiences of foreign detainees, and complicated legal systems.