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A review by jensreadinglife
Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward
4.0
4-1/2 Stars
"Sometimes the world don't give you what you need, no matter how hard you look. Sometimes it withholds."
These words have stuck with me since I read them over a week ago. There is a lot going on in this novel. I honestly feel unqualified to review it other than to say I had a visceral reaction to this book. It is gut-wrenching, as it should be. It is powerful, as it should be. It is the story of human failings and of racism and of family. And a story of the ghosts that haunt us all. I urge you to read this one and then just let it sit with you.
I’ve been hearing a lot of discussion about reviewing books where you can’t relate to the characters. It’s a rare book that makes me feel that way. But certainly there are books where the experiences of the characters, their history, their life stories are unlike anything I will ever know and experience. And rather than say, that’s not for me, I ask what I can take from that. What can I hold in my heart to help me better understand others? How does this help me better understand how other people experience the world?
Isn’t that what books do? Help us learn, understand and grow? Yes, they can be pure escapism but I think even in those reads we can take some glimmer of something and be the better for it. This book is not pure escapism but I promise you it’s a heavy read that is worth your time.
"Sometimes the world don't give you what you need, no matter how hard you look. Sometimes it withholds."
These words have stuck with me since I read them over a week ago. There is a lot going on in this novel. I honestly feel unqualified to review it other than to say I had a visceral reaction to this book. It is gut-wrenching, as it should be. It is powerful, as it should be. It is the story of human failings and of racism and of family. And a story of the ghosts that haunt us all. I urge you to read this one and then just let it sit with you.
I’ve been hearing a lot of discussion about reviewing books where you can’t relate to the characters. It’s a rare book that makes me feel that way. But certainly there are books where the experiences of the characters, their history, their life stories are unlike anything I will ever know and experience. And rather than say, that’s not for me, I ask what I can take from that. What can I hold in my heart to help me better understand others? How does this help me better understand how other people experience the world?
Isn’t that what books do? Help us learn, understand and grow? Yes, they can be pure escapism but I think even in those reads we can take some glimmer of something and be the better for it. This book is not pure escapism but I promise you it’s a heavy read that is worth your time.