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3.48 AVERAGE
3.48 AVERAGE
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book is basically a connected series of chronological short stories about the children of Hattie Shepard. As a rule, I don't love short stories. They don't give me enough of any one character. While some of the stories in this book are very compelling - Franklin and Cassie which are both written in first person, in particular, I wasn't overly intrigued with any of them and didn't feel as if I knew what happened to any of them in a longer since as I would in a novel. I was able to follow the lives of Hattie and her husband August throughout the book, but I never really felt as if I knew them either.
This book has a depth like few. One could analyze this book from multiple angles, and it would take a second and third read for that to be done as completely and properly as needed. Ayana Mathis unfolds characters one at a time and brings the reader along a journey and personal connections that contained surprising similarities to my own with my mother and siblings. The writing makes you want to immediately reread the words to peel back another layer to their meaning and will later leave you pondering the consequences of every characters' actions. You will identify or at least empathize with every character as their plight unfolds.
As beautifully written as the short stories in this book were, I could not bring myself to like it. It was heartwrenching and disturbing in a painfully realistic way. I grew attached to the characters, and I was frustrated when I couldn't see their growth beyond a chapter. This writer has talent, but her first novel was just too disjointed and sad for me to properly enjoy.
Powerful, insightful and heartfelt. A very important book to be written and to be read.
Though getting to know Hattie and each of her eleven kids' perspectives, the reader goes through the motions and reflects about how unique is the human experience and the extent and power of human resilience.
My only dissatisfaction with this book is with the writing style. Despite being a beautiful story, the actual writing fell a bit flat, with sentences that were constantly short and overly simple.
I feel that the writing could be a little more poetic to better converse with the story behind it.
Though getting to know Hattie and each of her eleven kids' perspectives, the reader goes through the motions and reflects about how unique is the human experience and the extent and power of human resilience.
My only dissatisfaction with this book is with the writing style. Despite being a beautiful story, the actual writing fell a bit flat, with sentences that were constantly short and overly simple.
I feel that the writing could be a little more poetic to better converse with the story behind it.
I loved this book. Very unique way to tell the story of a woman through her children's experiences.
I had a really hard time with this book. It isn't really a novel and the story just didn't flow for me. Each chapter was about one of her children but none of the chapters actually did a very good job of character development. What happened to the son who is was a gay musician? What happened to the son who was a preacher with the power to heal? The story about her mentally ill daughter was disturbing. I guess my overall emotion after reading this book was frustration. None of the stories had endings and even though I tried I could not really relate to or even like any of the characters.
Wow. Hovering between four and five stars on this one. I don't typically like books that are broken down to the level this one is (each chapter focuses on a different character in a different year), but the author did such an amazing job giving each of these characters a distinct voice and dilemma that I really loved it. With that said, this book was very sad. A classic case of bad things happening to good people and many hopeless circumstances. Overall, very well written.
emotional
relaxing
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
It took me a month because of other obligations, but I finally finished Twelve Tribes of Hattie by Ayana Mathis. I don't know what to think. The beginning and the end left me saddened for two different reasons. The stories of the children and their relationship with Hattie were kind of depressing (a reason it took me so long) and at times heartbreaking. Hattie did find bits and pieces of happiness along the way and there were several passages that made me giggle, but in all themes relating to the complexity of intimate and family relationships reigned in this novel. This wonderfully written novel had so many stories that were different from my own in so many ways, but still made me remember my childhood. That is the joy I take from this text. Nothing like someone else's pain to make you see the blessings in your own life. #twelvetribesofhattie