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3.48 AVERAGE
3.48 AVERAGE
Overall this book was pretty good with good writing. Mathis put forth a great idea by using the children to tell Hattie's story, but I still don't feel like we got a complete picture of who Hattie was. It was a lot of ..."well what happened?" in this book.
I enjoyed this book quite a bit. My real rating is a 3.5. I like how each child's story gave a glimpse into their mother's world. I was not fond of the ending. Each character was complex in their own way. The author's style reminded me a little of J. California Cooper who is one of my favorite authors of all. With a little work, Mathis can become a masterful storyteller. I would have liked a better glimpse into August's world and Hattie's too in light of her sisters.
Really good book. A bit confusing at times but I would definitely recommend it.
This was a re-read for me this year. My initial reading of this book was on its release date in 2012. I LOVE this book. Bell is still my favorite.
It was a pretty good book but I would have liked if we would have continued to hear about each child in the next chapters.
I don't usually go for Oprah's book choices but this one is reminiscent of Toni Morrison and Zadie Smith. Mathis creates rich characters and how she plays with time is intriguing as well. I enjoyed the shifting narration as well. Overall, a well-told family history.
An interesting novel that tells the stories of Hattie and August's children. Born and raised in the north by poor parents who grew up in the south under Jim Crow, the kids have different stories, but are any happy?
The stories were interesting, though the book reads more as short stories than as a novel. Also, I felt I would have understood a lot more about the kids if I had any idea about their birth order/age at WWII/etc. Instead, I would get to a chapter and think "wow, this is the first I have heard of XXXX." Which made it a bit confusing. I am also not quite sure every child had a chapter?
Very readable, but did ANY of these kids grow up happy and successful? It is not quite clear (what about Pearl? Did living with parents with money make her any happier?). The kids seem to blame this on not having enough money, food, shoes, and a somewhat absent father and domineering mother. But what about Pearl?
The stories were interesting, though the book reads more as short stories than as a novel. Also, I felt I would have understood a lot more about the kids if I had any idea about their birth order/age at WWII/etc. Instead, I would get to a chapter and think "wow, this is the first I have heard of XXXX." Which made it a bit confusing. I am also not quite sure every child had a chapter?
Very readable, but did ANY of these kids grow up happy and successful? It is not quite clear (what about Pearl? Did living with parents with money make her any happier?). The kids seem to blame this on not having enough money, food, shoes, and a somewhat absent father and domineering mother. But what about Pearl?
This book was an amazing chronicle of motherhood. I started crying in the first chapter and the rest just grabbed my heart and didn't let go. Outstanding storytelling and heartbreaking writing. Definitely one I'd recommend.
Great snippets of the story in each chapter. Interesting and distinct characters, all tied together in a messy, knotted ball of yarn. I enjoyed the book very much. While each chapter was like a short story (and I'm not keen on books of short stories), the book was still cohesive. Well written.