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whatjamieread's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
To say that the description of the book did not prepare me for the intense reactions I would have while reading is an understatement. From the very beginning, Gyasi forces the reader to confront inconvenient truths about slavery and the “middle passage” for so many men, women, and children who were sold by their neighbors to be used and abused by white men.
I could talk all day about the utterly stunning writing. I was reading a review that mentioned that while Effia’s story seemed cohesive, Esi’s was a little bit more disjointed and hard to follow. The reviewer saw that as a negative, however, I see that as fully intentional. Effia’s line’s story is connected by the common knowledge that they start with Effia. Esi’s descendants don’t know where they began and don’t have any connection to their origins and because of the brutality and unpredictability of slavery, the Jim Crow era, and beyond, Esi’s descendants are never able to get comfortable in their family history.
Gyasi tackled so many complex topics while still maintaining the central themes. I think that the way she writes characters and dialogue makes the reader feel like they are connected to the people they are reading in a way that has you holding your breath any time something bad is happening to a character on the pages. Furthermore, this book taught me more about slavery than I ever learned in school. I am very ignorant to the brutal details of that time and I was constantly confronted with new information that I had never known while I read this book. I believe that something like this should be required reading and have recommended it to all of my teacher friends.
I gave this five stars and I fully intend to revisit this story over the course of my life. I’m still thinking about all of the characters in this story and wish that I could have done something to save them from so much pain and suffering. If you haven’t yet read this one, I highly suggest you put it at the very top of your list. You’ll gain knowledge that you didn’t have before and a better sense and understanding for black history month.
Full Review on My Blog: https://tinyurl.com/1lqpnz6d
I could talk all day about the utterly stunning writing. I was reading a review that mentioned that while Effia’s story seemed cohesive, Esi’s was a little bit more disjointed and hard to follow. The reviewer saw that as a negative, however, I see that as fully intentional. Effia’s line’s story is connected by the common knowledge that they start with Effia. Esi’s descendants don’t know where they began and don’t have any connection to their origins and because of the brutality and unpredictability of slavery, the Jim Crow era, and beyond, Esi’s descendants are never able to get comfortable in their family history.
Gyasi tackled so many complex topics while still maintaining the central themes. I think that the way she writes characters and dialogue makes the reader feel like they are connected to the people they are reading in a way that has you holding your breath any time something bad is happening to a character on the pages. Furthermore, this book taught me more about slavery than I ever learned in school. I am very ignorant to the brutal details of that time and I was constantly confronted with new information that I had never known while I read this book. I believe that something like this should be required reading and have recommended it to all of my teacher friends.
I gave this five stars and I fully intend to revisit this story over the course of my life. I’m still thinking about all of the characters in this story and wish that I could have done something to save them from so much pain and suffering. If you haven’t yet read this one, I highly suggest you put it at the very top of your list. You’ll gain knowledge that you didn’t have before and a better sense and understanding for black history month.
Full Review on My Blog: https://tinyurl.com/1lqpnz6d
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Physical abuse, and Rape
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