Infinite Hope

de Ashley Bryan

Image keeping a secret for decades. People have always known Ashley Bryan as a celebrated artist, storyteler, writer - a legend. But there was a role Ashley had that almost no one knew: soldier. In 1943, at nineteen years old, Ashley was drafted out of art school and into World War II. During his service he was the technical sergeant with charcoal pencils and paper stuffed into his gas mask; a friend and art teacher to the children of Boston, where he was first stationed; an art student in Scotland; and the unofficial portrait painter of his fellow soldiers - the very same ones with whom he was a part of Operaion Overlord at Omaha Beach on D-Day. But despite his many attributes, Ashley was still seen in one particular way: as being Black. For years Ashley faced the injustices specific to Black soldiers in a segregated army. And for decades he told no one. Now he feels compelled to add to history, to tell his story, including not only the injustices, but also the kind people who supported him. The bright moments that guided him through the dark. And, most of all, how his passion for art sustained him time and time again. Filled with never-before-seen artwork, handwritten letters to his dear Cooper Union classmate Eva, and sketchbook-journal entries, this heartrending, soaring memoir is both an extraordinary piece of history - and a lesson in hope. -- "From celebrated author and illustrator Ashley Bryan comes a deeply moving picture book memoir about serving in the segregated army during World War II, and how love and the pursuit of art sustained him. In May of 1942, at the age of eighteen, Ashley Bryan was drafted to fight in World War II. For the next three years, he would face the horrors of war as a black soldier in a segregated army. He endured the terrible lies white officers told about the black soldiers to isolate them from anyone who showed kindness--including each other. He received worse treatment than even Nazi POWs. He was assigned the grimmest, most horrific tasks, like burying fallen soldiers...but was told to remove the black soldiers first because the media didn't want them in their newsreels. And he waited and wanted so desperately to go home, watching every white soldier get safe passage back to the United States before black soldiers were even a thought. For the next forty years, Ashley would keep his time in the war a secret. But now, he tells his story. The story of the kind people who supported him. The story of the bright moments that guided him through the dark. And the story of his passion for art that would save him time and time again. Filled with never-before-seen artwork and handwritten letters and diary entries, this illuminating and moving memoir by Newbery Honor-winning illustrator Ashley Bryan is both a lesson in history and a testament to hope"--