A review by mitskacir
Another Country by James Baldwin

4.0

I listened to the audiobook, which had an excellent reader who brought each character to life. Baldwin’s writing is passionate and descriptive, and I was astounded by his ability to write so perceptively from different perspectives (especially the women characters - I often can’t stand women written by men). This book so artfully articulates many of the conversation points I hear in 2020 on race and the intersections of race, sexuality, and gender: Particularly Ida’s final speech about her deep understanding of her brother and why a white person could never have known him the way she did - not because they are white, per se, but because they are not black. The anger that Vivaldo struggles with throughout the book at being called out for his whiteness, frequently saying that he cannot help being white, also felt particularly relevant. The only reason I took of one star was because the pacing is very slow, which made it difficult for me to finish the book.