A review by rebekah_florence
The Bread the Devil Knead by Lisa Allen-Agostini

challenging dark reflective sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

“And I not dead. I still here. And people love me.”  The Bread the Devil Knead’s Aletheia is a character that, throughout reading the novel, reminded me of The Color Purple’s Celie.  I like that the Allen-Agostini splits of especially heavy chapters of text by interspersing chapters of flashbacks from Alethea’s childhood.  I could see that she’s truly been fighting and burdened her whole life.  When Aletheia has moments of happiness, I wished that those could continue forever.  I felt, however, that I didn’t get to know Alethea that well.  Perhaps that was intentional, as we know that it’s difficult for her to have her own life, but I longed to feel more connected to the character.  This was not only my first Carribean author, but also my first book written in Trinidadian Creole.  I’m inspired to read more books in dialect, and further, learn more about various Caribbean cultures.  
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