Scan barcode
A review by whamydid
The Atlas of Reds and Blues by Devi S. Laskar
4.0
3.5
A huge thanks to Counterpoint for sending me an eARC for one of my most anticipated reads of 2019.
Devi S. Laskar has written a truly beautiful, heartbreaking book. The lyrical prose is broken into small snippets centered around The Mother. We never learn her name but we get to know her story. She is an American-born daughter of Bengali immigrant parents. She lives in the wealthy suburbs in Atlanta raising three daughters while her husband spends most of his time away from work. The book documents her struggle with racism and the hostility she has faced as a second generation immigrant.
One morning, her house is unjustifiably raided by the authorities. Standing her ground knowing she has been targeted for no reason, she is shot by a policeman. As she lies on her driveway bleeding, she reflects on the prejudice she has endured during her life.
The poetic style of writing took a little while to get used to but once I adjusted, I practically devoured this book. It is a stunning debut that exposes what it is like to be a woman of colour in the US and touches on the abuse of power by the police. It is sad think that racism is still prevalent in society today and I have had it a goal for this year to read more books around topics such as race and immigration and more by woman of colour.
This book has been stuck in my head since I finished it and I thoroughly recommend it. I've knocked a star off because of how long it took for me to adjust to the poetic writing and fragmented format.
A huge thanks to Counterpoint for sending me an eARC for one of my most anticipated reads of 2019.
Devi S. Laskar has written a truly beautiful, heartbreaking book. The lyrical prose is broken into small snippets centered around The Mother. We never learn her name but we get to know her story. She is an American-born daughter of Bengali immigrant parents. She lives in the wealthy suburbs in Atlanta raising three daughters while her husband spends most of his time away from work. The book documents her struggle with racism and the hostility she has faced as a second generation immigrant.
One morning, her house is unjustifiably raided by the authorities. Standing her ground knowing she has been targeted for no reason, she is shot by a policeman. As she lies on her driveway bleeding, she reflects on the prejudice she has endured during her life.
The poetic style of writing took a little while to get used to but once I adjusted, I practically devoured this book. It is a stunning debut that exposes what it is like to be a woman of colour in the US and touches on the abuse of power by the police. It is sad think that racism is still prevalent in society today and I have had it a goal for this year to read more books around topics such as race and immigration and more by woman of colour.
This book has been stuck in my head since I finished it and I thoroughly recommend it. I've knocked a star off because of how long it took for me to adjust to the poetic writing and fragmented format.