A review by cc_shelflove
Don't Cry for Me by Daniel Black

challenging emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Receiving something like this from your dead parent would honestly be a gift. Told in letters written to his son, Jacob asks Isaac for amends after he failed as a father and ostracized his son for being gay. The letters read like a memoir, so I often forgot I was reading a piece of fiction. Don’t Cry for Me was very educational in that it explored both generational and racial differences. There are so many stories about the past that we forget to ask our loved ones while they are alive. Once they are gone, the questions seem to flow more freely. I wasn’t on the edge of my seat, and I think the book would have been better if it included Isaac’s reactions to the letters. Overall, a strongly worded novel.

If you liked this book, check out Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood. 
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