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A review by jmbq_reads
A Bit of Earth by Karuna Riazi
4.0
First off, I support the HarperCollins Union in their fight for fair wages and benefits as well as diversity representation. And this book demonstrates why more diverse voices are needed in publishing.
This retelling of The Secret Garden proved to be more memorable and more nuanced than the original, a book I felt just "okay" about in past reading. Maria, the main character in A Bit of Earth, hails originally from Lahore, Pakistan, but due to her parents' deaths, she ends up shuffled around family until she ends up on Long Island in the custody of an old friend of her parents. The book perfectly captures the anger and antisocial aspects of grief as well as the hyperawareness that one's brown skin causes others to pre-judge and dismiss one. However, it also beautifully depicts the healing power of nature and friendship to help a girl (and a boy) to find a way through that grief.
An improvement on the classic novel in every way. Four stars.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an eARC. Opinions expressed here are solely my own.
This retelling of The Secret Garden proved to be more memorable and more nuanced than the original, a book I felt just "okay" about in past reading. Maria, the main character in A Bit of Earth, hails originally from Lahore, Pakistan, but due to her parents' deaths, she ends up shuffled around family until she ends up on Long Island in the custody of an old friend of her parents. The book perfectly captures the anger and antisocial aspects of grief as well as the hyperawareness that one's brown skin causes others to pre-judge and dismiss one. However, it also beautifully depicts the healing power of nature and friendship to help a girl (and a boy) to find a way through that grief.
An improvement on the classic novel in every way. Four stars.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an eARC. Opinions expressed here are solely my own.