Truth in the Rivers is a collection of essays and poetry written by Bruce Hopkins and illustrated with watercolors by Howard N. Horii. Thematically, the book has three distinct sections. The first section considers Howards early life as a young Japanese American student in the 1940s, living in California with his family. The second section of the book entitled Civil Rights addresses the authors experiences as a teacher of Black Studies during the 1960s. The third section of the book entitled Road Trips with Papa brings us to the present and examines the need for all people to teach the children well. Finally, the ending of the book comes full circle. Highlighted by the essay and poem The Woodshed. Human resilience, determination in the light of adversity, and the human ability to sustain the creative voice in spite of adversity runs throughout all of the stories.