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waytoomanybooks's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This book was an assigned reading, and I'm quite glad of that. It's a powerful book that I wouldn't have known about had it not been assigned to me. It's a raw look at post-WWI and pre-WWII life for black people in Jim Crow America. Each poem or short story is a deeply rich snapshot. The prose is packed and requires multiple read throughs to unpack. This is an excellen text to use to get a feel for/scratch the surface of a large portion of American history that just isn't taught in schools but absolutely should be.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Abandonment, Ableism, Addiction, Alcohol, Child death, Violence, War, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Blood, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Racism, Colonisation, Dementia, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual content, Stalking, Xenophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Misogyny, Murder, Slavery, Torture, Grief, and Sexual harassment
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