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3.99 AVERAGE
3.99 AVERAGE
i like it when characters are understandable flawed but still likeable
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
This book highlights parts of black culture that are often overlooked. It has a way of making you think twice about the way we view our elders and why they may be the way they are. Reading this gives you a sense of empowerment as it reminds me of all the things black people especially black women have been through and how much we have overcome.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Racism, Grief, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Deportation
This book blew me away, and it came at the perfect time for me. After the Trayvon Martin verdict, I found myself speechless about issues of race. While friends posted articles and insightful quotes about the topic, I just could not find the words. This book gave me the words to explain the problem of race in our country.
But having said all that, this is not a book about "issues." It's a story, and a beautifully rendered one at that. At its heart, it is a coming-of-age narrative of a teenage girl, Selina, whose parents came to the US from Barbados and settled in Brooklyn where Selina and her sister were born. It's the story of two very different generations trying to survive in a country that is set up for them to fail.
I have never read a book quite like this -- Paule Marshall not like Morrison or Walker or Naylor in her storytelling; she's somehow more honest, angry, and fierce. She is unapologetic about her characters' strengths and flaws and portrays them in a straightforward manner. It is these characters' distrust and suspicion of one another that ultimately drives the story. Will they ever come to a place of understanding? Will they stop internalizing the hatred from the white culture around them and find a way to love one another and, ultimately, themselves? Will they find their way in this country of white privilege?
I'm glad that this novel is finally coming back into critical acclaim, since it was published in 1959 and seems to be one of those gems that was somehow lost to the literary canon. If you are interested in issues of race, read this book. If you are interested in an arresting story, read this book. If you are OK with carrying someone else's pain for a little while, read this book. It will likely change you and will definitely affect you deeply.
Warning: this is not a light, summer read. It is a difficult story to carry, but it is one that we are afraid to tell in this country, and, especially for white readers, one that we don't necessarily want to hear. But hear it we ought to, especially in these post-Trayvon Martin-verdict times of anguish and helplessness.
But having said all that, this is not a book about "issues." It's a story, and a beautifully rendered one at that. At its heart, it is a coming-of-age narrative of a teenage girl, Selina, whose parents came to the US from Barbados and settled in Brooklyn where Selina and her sister were born. It's the story of two very different generations trying to survive in a country that is set up for them to fail.
I have never read a book quite like this -- Paule Marshall not like Morrison or Walker or Naylor in her storytelling; she's somehow more honest, angry, and fierce. She is unapologetic about her characters' strengths and flaws and portrays them in a straightforward manner. It is these characters' distrust and suspicion of one another that ultimately drives the story. Will they ever come to a place of understanding? Will they stop internalizing the hatred from the white culture around them and find a way to love one another and, ultimately, themselves? Will they find their way in this country of white privilege?
I'm glad that this novel is finally coming back into critical acclaim, since it was published in 1959 and seems to be one of those gems that was somehow lost to the literary canon. If you are interested in issues of race, read this book. If you are interested in an arresting story, read this book. If you are OK with carrying someone else's pain for a little while, read this book. It will likely change you and will definitely affect you deeply.
Warning: this is not a light, summer read. It is a difficult story to carry, but it is one that we are afraid to tell in this country, and, especially for white readers, one that we don't necessarily want to hear. But hear it we ought to, especially in these post-Trayvon Martin-verdict times of anguish and helplessness.
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Selina’s father wants to move back to Barbados to the land his sister left him while her mother wants to sell it and put a down payment on their New York brownstone. However, as Selina matures the conflict shifts as Selina struggles to be herself against her unique circumstances, a struggle all can relate to.
Learning that I have a hard time reading accents (yes I’m white, thank you for noticing) and it’s diminishing my ability to comprehend dialogue, which this book was heavy on. There were many monologues which always make me glaze over. However, this book is written really well and tugs on complex family relationships - especially in the midst of racism and financial hardship - relating mostly to the plight of women expected to maintain domestic responsibilities even when working. I’m glad I read this book as an adult because as a child I would have despised the mother character, but as an adult I found relatability and empathy. Probably wouldn’t read again as I didn’t find the characters likable, but overall a good read.
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
informative
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The book was not interesting, boring but I pushed through to finish it
This book helped spark my real love for African-American feminist fiction. The kitchen is such a place of magic, where female speech, obligation, offering, resistance, and respect all find a home.