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erincataldi's review against another edition
4.0
A quirky and heartfelt journey that will intrigue readers from the beginning. From an early age Cassie and Judith knew they were sisters. Even though Cassie was black and living with her mother and grandmother above a laundry shop and Judith was a white girl living with her redneck family, they knew they were sisters, and so did the whole town. Grandmother was obsessed with getting the family lighter and lighter because living in the Jim Crow south during the 50s was no cake walk for colored folks. In order to whiten the family line, grandmother would push her offspring to get knocked up by white men, hoping that in a few generations, no one would be none the wiser. When their father ran off (although he was certainly no father to poor Cassie and ignored her very existence) and left Judith's mom and siblings up shit creek, Judith has decided that she's had enough and she's going to make her own way in the world. She convinces Cassie to join her and together they dig an old car out of the woods and start a road trip across the south that they'll never forget. A wonderful read that has elements of folklore, mysticism, family, friendship, and heartbreak.
marbooks88's review against another edition
3.0
Cassie is different from the rest of her town, not white but apart from the black community. She forms an unlikely bond with her half-sister to find their father and their inheritance. What she finds is her future..
Thanks to the publishers and the NetGalley for providing an ARC for my honest review.
Thanks to the publishers and the NetGalley for providing an ARC for my honest review.
pianorunner421's review against another edition
2.0
Meh. This book was not nearly as good as I think the story had potential to be. It was okay enough for me to want to finish, but just randomly weird in places. Maybe if I had read Abaslom! Absalom! by William Faulkner (the inspiration of this story), it would have been better. The conver compares this author to Toni Morrison but I really think that is an overstatement of talent. This definitely was not a page turner for me. 3/4 of the way through, I pushed myself to finish it so I could pick up something else.
kittykornerlibrarian's review against another edition
2.0
This is an interesting idea, but for me it didn't sustain itself. I was checking toward the end to see how much more I had to read before it was over, and that's never a good sign. Cassie and Judith are half-sisters with the same white father; but Cassie's mother is black and Judith's mother is white. The story is told from Cassie's point of view, and since Cassie is not the kind of person who seems to question very much that goes on around her, maybe that's why the story fell a little flat for me. The two sisters end up on a road trip from Mississippi to Virginia together, after Judith gets a mysterious letter about a possible inheritance from their father. There's some magical realism along the way for Cassie. There are themes about race and identity, but I don't think they're very well developed. The narrative is merely a string of events punctuated by forgettable dialogue. Kind of a disappointment.
sweddy65's review against another edition
3.0
There were things to like about this book, but the magic realism rarely worked for me. (And I'm someone who loves good magic realism.)
dannb's review against another edition
3.0
3+ Such a different take on a Jim Crow era book. Half sisters on an adventure across the deep south (a hint of young Thelma and Louise.) Be bolder Ms. Feldman in your next book!
notaleaf's review against another edition
3.0
Debut novel from Feldman about two half-sisters, one white, one black who share the same father. They end up leaving their home in Mississippi to find out about their ancestors and begin a journey of discovery. Some parts (near the end) seemed a little out of place, but overall a great read! And a quick one, too. 3/5.
emiliamcg24's review against another edition
2.0
honestly kind of boring. didn't feel invested in the characters at all.
kaybaybaby's review
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75