Coming March 2027, Plainspoken Books, an imprint of University Press of Kansas

https://kansaspress.ku.edu/9780700643998/

In a poignant exploration of the injustice of the justice system, Stolen Sons is the raw and inspiring story of two Kansas City mothers whose lives are irrevocably altered by the violent deaths of their unarmed, innocent sons, each killed by police in separate incidents.

In the summer of 2013, Narene Stokes, a single Black mother from Kansas City, faces her greatest fear when a police officer shoots her 24-year-old son Ryan in the back over a false accusation and racist stereotypes. Five years later, Sheila Albers, a white woman in the idyllic suburb of Overland Park, learned police violence can strike any family when an officer shoots her 17-year-old son John during a welfare check gone horribly wrong. In the fallout of John’s death, Narene and Sheila find each other and draw solace and strength from their shared grief as they embark on a quest for justice for their sons.

As their journeys converge, a single playbook emerges from police stations and justice departments: blame the victim, bury the evidence, destroy the mother. Despite the glaring absence of any evidence against Ryan, the police and media conspire to vilify Narene and her dead son, shrouding the truth in a veil of cover-up and collusion. John's struggle with mental health becomes a weapon in the hands of the police, used to rationalize the shooting. Sheila finds herself embroiled in a similar battle against a system that prioritizes its own protection over the truth. Cops didn’t kill their sons, the story went. Bad mothers did.

Stolen Sons lays bare the violent threads of racism, misogyny, and injustice woven into the fabric of the American justice system. Despite the barriers created by police officers, district attorneys, federal judges, the media, and the law itself, Narene and Sheila bravely confront the lies and cover-ups that surround their innocent sons' unjust deaths.

Susan Berardi brings rigorous reporting and fast-paced, emotional prose to this investigative narrative debut. Stolen Sons is a testament to the indomitable spirit of two mothers who transform their profound grief into a deep friendship and powerful activism. Their bond emerges as a beacon of hope and strength amidst adversity, illuminating the ongoing struggle for justice within a deeply flawed system.