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A review by dayday_reads
Embers on the Wind by Lisa Williamson Rosenberg
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I honestly don't know how I feel about this book. It's not bad by any stretch of the imagination but at many times thinga just didn't make sense to me. There were time jumps, character shifts and things happening that eventually all tie together and the ending was not at all what I expected. There were also some loose threads that were never picked up and/or tied off. I did enjoy how the historical context was tied in with Whitaker House and The Underground Railroad. There are some paranormal elements that weren't really explored as well as I would've liked and again, they were kind of just dropped.
The characters are complex but I neither connected with them or even liked them. I don't think that they are meant to be liked yet there seems to be a remove between the reader and the characters. As with the plot, there are character points and moments that aren't fully developed and it's unclear why. I kept wanting to know what happened with some of the character's stories and they are just dropped without ever being addressed. It was quite frustrating. Also, there were a LOT of characters and even though they tied together, the connections were often murky.
There was some interesting discussion on race and assimilation and being Black in a White world - in the 19th century and in current times. Interestingly enough, the author herself is in an interracial marraige (she is Black and her husand is White) and so she can relate to the mothers in her story in many ways. There is also a strong sub-plot of children being taken from their mother's and grief. So many sad moments happen and they are handled realistically and your heart just breaks for them.
The ending was interesting but a bit anticlimactic and like I said, too many loose ends for my liking. It did wrap-up the stories of a couple of characters though and that part I could appreciate.
Check content warnings as there are plenty.
The characters are complex but I neither connected with them or even liked them. I don't think that they are meant to be liked yet there seems to be a remove between the reader and the characters. As with the plot, there are character points and moments that aren't fully developed and it's unclear why. I kept wanting to know what happened with some of the character's stories and they are just dropped without ever being addressed. It was quite frustrating. Also, there were a LOT of characters and even though they tied together, the connections were often murky.
There was some interesting discussion on race and assimilation and being Black in a White world - in the 19th century and in current times. Interestingly enough, the author herself is in an interracial marraige (she is Black and her husand is White) and so she can relate to the mothers in her story in many ways. There is also a strong sub-plot of children being taken from their mother's and grief. So many sad moments happen and they are handled realistically and your heart just breaks for them.
The ending was interesting but a bit anticlimactic and like I said, too many loose ends for my liking. It did wrap-up the stories of a couple of characters though and that part I could appreciate.
Check content warnings as there are plenty.