Scan barcode
A review by sarahkorn
Isaac's Song by Daniel Black
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
4.75
A powerful exploration of the relationships and generational divides between Black fathers and sons, but also just a beautiful exploration of Black manhood and masculinity. While Isaac is gay, there's no real romance in this book nor is much time spent on describing the real painful realities of the gay community in the 1980s, so I interpret his homosexuality as primarily a plot device to create tension with his much more conservative father but also to demonstrate the many ways Black men can love each other. Just a beautiful book!
"The hardest part was exposing black men's hearts...I knew what I felt, what we felt, but I never wanted to surrender our vulnerability for public pleasure. Yet by exploring the lives of these precious brothers, I discovered that all men want the same things: validation, worth, purpose. They just never say it. That's why some men dislike me -- I'm willing to say it. That's also why I have to tell this story. Because it's a love song, a black male ballad, a lullaby most brothers can't sing. But I can."
"The hardest part was exposing black men's hearts...I knew what I felt, what we felt, but I never wanted to surrender our vulnerability for public pleasure. Yet by exploring the lives of these precious brothers, I discovered that all men want the same things: validation, worth, purpose. They just never say it. That's why some men dislike me -- I'm willing to say it. That's also why I have to tell this story. Because it's a love song, a black male ballad, a lullaby most brothers can't sing. But I can."