Reviews

Everybody Loves Kamau! by W. Kamau Bell

estark16's review

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5.0

A truly touching account (I did tear up at the end) of Kamau's experience with dealing with racism from his grandfather-in-law and how they both overcame their initial impressions of one another. I haven't watched Kamau's show nor have I seen his comedy, but I'm going to have to change that. He has an exceptional way of looking at things.

kelli7990's review against another edition

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hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

3.0

Here’s what this book is about:”When the black comedian first meets the beloved Sicilian grandfather of his Italian American girlfriend, Melissa, the wrong sparks fly. The most important member of her large family shuns Kamau. What follows is a bracing, true account of conflict and patience, in-laws and family heirlooms, as Melissa and Kamau deal with cold shoulders, rejection, and finally resolution.”

I borrowed this book from Prime Reading. This is the third story from a short story collection. I didn’t know anything about this author before I started listening to this book. I didn’t think this book was funny but it was a nice story to listen to. I’m glad that everything ended up working out really well for Kamau in the end.

ladyida1's review

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2.0

meh

abby_rh's review

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5.0

What a beautiful memoir about knives, interracial marriage and family!

berniemck's review

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5.0

I enjoyed listening to this short audiobook. It's one man's storey of prejudice in his interracial relationship sprinkled with comedy.

kassierene's review

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5.0

You can tell from Kamau's writing style that he is a comedian as well. Somehow he is able to write about serious social issues in "Everybody Loves Kamau!" with humor in a way that's not too forced. Thanks for the genuinely good read, Amazon.

taurilaane's review

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4.0

Just a little fun book with soul, helping to understand and get rid of racism.

wizzardofxxxx's review

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4.0

I listened to the audio version, Bell is such a good narrator. This was a really good read, very interesting to hear about how he and his wife dealt with a older, racist, family member.

lola_reads_books's review

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4.0

4.5 stars! If you have a Kindle Unlimited membership, this is a MUST read. W. Kamau Bell is a once in a generation human being. As a tall and large black man, he has faced racism throughout his entirely life, and yet, he still continues to try to see the good in people.

Bell is known for his ability to meet his oppressors where they are and to have open conversations with racist or bigots to understand why they think the way they do. And using compassion, connection, and patience, he relates to these people and tries to show them the errors of their prejudiced thinking.

Everybody Loves Kamau is a perfect example of this. When he begins to date his future wife, a white woman, he is immediately shunned by the patriarch of the family, his wife's grandfather. This short personal story covers many years of Kamau's life -- from dating, to marriage, to children with the love of his life -- and how the relationship with his grandfather-in-law changed over time from one filled with racial tension to one filled with mutual love.

We can all learn from Kamau! Protests, policy, and politics are all incredible tools for racial justice change on a macro level, but on an individual level when interacting one-on-one with someone who has racist thoughts about you, kindness and the willingness to have a calm dialogue can often make a huge difference on the micro level.

Note - This short story starts off odd and you may become confused about where the story is going but stick around longer than a couple pages and you will be glad you did.

cynical_guru's review

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inspiring reflective fast-paced

5.0