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4.39 AVERAGE
4.39 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
fast-paced
fast-paced
Memorable Quotes:
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No one should diminish themselves to prove their love
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If you get nothing else from this letter, understand that I never knew how to love. I dreamed of it, but I never experienced it. What I knew was pain. So that's what I gave you. I'd never seen a black life free from it, so my job as a father, I assumed, was to prepare your back for the load
challenging
emotional
inspiring
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
Exactly 10 years ago i submitted another Daniel Black book to my book club. We read Perfect peace and I hated it, i toor it appart in my review (swipe)
Yet i didn’t hesitate to submit his most recent work of fiction Don’t cry for me for our bookclub pick for May. 10 years had elapsed and i went into it with an open mind and loved the deeply moving, beautifully written masterpiece by Dr Black. 5 stars are not enough for this historical novel. I have an aversion to Historical novels as a whole, but this is how you do it! The imagery was stunning. Can Ava Duvernay option this one for the big screen? The characters are layered and engaging and flawed and authentically human. I had deep empathy for every character. The premise is sad but deep layers of pain are so masterfully written that you are transported into this world. And find grace for each character where they are.
The themes are plentiful in this one. Here are just a few that stood out to me (there are many many more) Home, Self, Vulnerability,Intimacy, Ancestry, Ancestors and communicating with them, Land, Growth, Abuse, Reading/books, Abuse, Magical realism, Death, Redemption, Gender roles, relationships, abandonment, abuse, going back to your roots, rebirth, truth…… Oh and lest not forget the biblical reference, that another layer in itself.
It’s been a long time since I’ve been compelled to look up the authors interviews after I’ve completed a book. With this one I ran over to YouTube immediately after reading the last line. This novel is begging for a sequel and the author has confirmed that Issac’s Song has already been written. So now we wait. All members enjoyed the book and look forward to reading the sequel. So Dr Black will be a three-peat author in our club. We had a great discussion. It reminded me of the early days of the club. I don’t re-read books but I feel compelled to read this one again.
#bookreview #dontcryformebook #islandgirlreads #sxmbibliophile
22/60 #goodreadsreadingchallenge
5/12 #bookclub
9/20 #booksbyblackfolx
5/12 #bookclub
9/20 #booksbyblackfolx
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Hate crime
Moderate: Bullying, Cancer, Child death, Death, Terminal illness, Religious bigotry, Abortion
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is an epistolary novel, written as a series of letters from a dying father to a son. The two have been estranged for a long time, mostly because the son is gay. The characters are Black Americans and this adds a layer to the story.
The letters are written over a period of time, but describe years of family history. The family story is difficult as many family stories are. I think this book is important and well-written and make me interested in Daniel Black's other works. He reads this and does a fine job.
The reason I hold back a star is because the letters all by one person style of novel is problematic because you can never know how the other party is doing or feeling.
Here's a book you haven't seen everywhere about Black fatherhood, masculinity, and (un)conditional love. A deeply vulnerable, beautifully written masterpiece by Daniel Black about a dying father's atoning for his mistakes and failures to his estranged son in a series of letters where he attempts to explain the family's history of intergenerational trauma caused by slavery, violence, and being newly freed Black folks in the South. It's a story about a father, fathers, and parents who try to give more than what they had, but it's still less than what we need. This a love letter astutely written by a Black father to his son, shedding light on the pain and scars Black people endure while trying to find a safe place in this world, where we are loved and understood. I'm so grateful to have discovered this text as I rarely gravitate towards books written by male authors that center male characters, but it was a rewarding read. Probably one of the most important literature books of our time. CW: SA, domestic violence, suicide
emotional
reflective
sad
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:
Yes