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kalynaobyrne's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-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
3.25
I wanted to like Send Her Back More than I did. The author had a strong voice but both her voice and the stories got repetitive and were missing a cohesiveness. Each short story was told in different tenses and from new characters but the voices of many of the characters were very similar. Especially listening to this on audio if I wasn’t paying attention it could be hard to tell when a new chapter started. I think I would have enjoyed the collection more if the stories had felt more different from each other.
It was easy to forget these stories were works of fiction while you were reading. Some of the stories I really enjoyed and thought they were extremely powerful and some fell flat for me. As a white American I do think there is value in reading this.
This book is extremely thoughtful and I can’t deny the value in these stories even though overall this book was not my favorite. This book was a 3.25 for me.
It was easy to forget these stories were works of fiction while you were reading. Some of the stories I really enjoyed and thought they were extremely powerful and some fell flat for me. As a white American I do think there is value in reading this.
This book is extremely thoughtful and I can’t deny the value in these stories even though overall this book was not my favorite. This book was a 3.25 for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Emotional abuse
Minor: Gaslighting and Sexual assault
thebiasedbibliophile's review
5.0
Send Her Back by Munashe Kaseke is a collection of short stories that describe the lives of many Zimbabwean women. Some of Kaseke’s characters immigrated to the U.S., while others are living in Zimbabwe, but all of them have a complex, and often complicated, story to tell.
First off, I was impressed to see that this is Kaseke’s debut book, because she writes as if she has been doing so for her entire life. Her stories are so detailed and descriptive. Each character felt unique and three-dimensional in her own way. Honestly, I would have been happy to read an entire book for each story that Kaseke included because the writing was simply stunning.
Additionally, I had to go back and check the genre of this book because the stories felt so realistic, I thought it must be nonfiction. While I can confirm that it is in fact fiction, I have no doubt that these stories are representative of the experiences of real women. Having the opportunity to see what life is like for women who are different from myself was eye-opening. I think most of us have preconceived ideas of what immigrants are like, and what Black women are like, but this book expanded my perception of humanity.
Finally, every single story was not only captivating, but also emotionally moving. It is a powerful thing for authors to have the ability to evoke such strong emotions in readers, but after reading this book, I have no doubt that Kaseke clearly has that talent.
Overall, I hope Kaseke writes another book soon because it will certainly be a must-read for me! Even if she never wrote another book in her life, Send Her Back is an amazing feat, the likes of which most authors strive for just once in their lives!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship and Misogyny
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Domestic abuse, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Blood
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