The Stone Home: A Novel
by Crystal Hana Kim
Interesting? (11/17/2023)
This was an interesting novel. It was very easy to read, but for me, not easy to understand. There are many characters in the novel though I could possibly narrow it to three main characters. The subject is something that I was totally unaware of so the good thing about the novel was enlightenment. However, in the reading the author's notes and acknowledgements at the end, I didn't see the basis for such gory details as described in the book. The level and frequency of human torture was hard to stomach. I didn't realize that one of the main characters had even survived. I also felt there were way too many unanswered questions in the end which was very unsatisfying. I am giving the book three stars because clearly the manner in which it was written was enough to get an emotional reaction out of me. However, I can't recommend the book to anyone.
Above the Salt: A Novel
by Katherine Vaz
Exceptional novel highly recommended! (9/18/2023)
Above the Salt is a wonderful novel about Portuguese immigrants who migrated to America in the mid-19th century for a better life. It is an incredible love story that is full of commitment, romance, and respect for community. It is historical fiction based on a real person, John Alves, and incorporates many actual events such as Lincoln's presidency, the Civil War, racial prejudice, inventions, the earthquake in San Francisco, the plague in early the early 20th Century, and the beginning of World War I.
The manner in which the book is written, told mostly through the eyes of Mary and John, enables the reader to be in their shoes. All of the historical references serve as background information, giving the reader a sense of what ordinary people were going through on a daily basis during challenging times. The intense descriptive prose makes it easy to visualize and feel what the various characters were experiencing. Considering all the "ups and downs" in the story, I'm glad the author ended the book way she did.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It reminded me of Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese which I also really liked and look forward to reading his current novel. However, this book is even better! I give it 6 stars!!
Innards: Stories
by Magogodi oaMphela Makhene
Not my cup of tea (5/16/2023)
This book was nothing like what I was expecting. I really didn't like it but forced myself to read it in its entirety in case upon reflection I would see it in a more positive light. I did not. A brief description of the novel and the author's note to the reader gave the impression that I would learn about the impact that almost 400 years of slavery, colonization, and apartheid had on Africans. I missed the message because I was unable to get past the staccato prose, non-English terminology that I didn't understand, foul language, gross descriptions, and borderline misogyny. It's possible that the way the book is written it may have more meaning to those who experienced or who are familiar with what African life was like in the past. I'm planning to read Africa Is Not A Country by Dipo Faloyin and wonder if some of what I read in this book will be reflected in his.
Moonrise Over New Jessup
by Jamila Minnicks
Wonderful story about sense of self and family (12/27/2022)
Moonrise Over New Jessup is about a young woman, Alice, who flees her hometown in Rensler, Alabama after her her father dies. She has an older sister, Rose, who left suddenly a few years ago bound for Chicago, hoping for a better life. The story takes place during the fifties and early sixties during racial segregation in the South. Alice hasn't heard from her sister in a while but boards a bus for Chicago with very little money. The bus makes a rest stop in New Jessup, Alabama where she is encouraged to stay and seek refuse with the local pastor and his wife.
I found the story to be believable. It is told with good dosages of appropriate dialect, and "old sayings" from black southern culture. It is told mostly from Alice's point of view. At times when she was reflecting on past events, I found the transitions a bit confusing. Other times when she was lost in thought, it was hard to tell if she was describing her imagination vs a real event.
There is enough suspense to keep the reader engaged. The historical events mentioned help the main plot's credibility. At the conclusion of the book, you will be more informed about the dilemmas Blacks faced during this time period and why all did not see solutions for improving their lives the same way. I feel that some of the issues described are still relevant today. I highly recommend this book.
Our Missing Hearts: A Novel
by Celeste Ng
A must read! (10/1/2022)
This book is very timely! It tells the story of a twelve-year old boy, Bird, who lives with his father in Cambridge, MA. They are living in a time when P.A.C.T. (Preserving American Culture and Traditions) is in place. Books have been banned and people are constantly worrying about being reported as not being patriotic. Some children have been separated from their parents for their own good. Bird's mother has left the family because her Asian ethnicity could put the family at risk. It's been three years since she left but Bird still misses her, and, without his father's knowledge, decides to find her based on a letter he received with a New York return address.
Next, we learn about Bird's mother, Margaret, and her life as a young woman before she met Bird's father, Ethan. It also describes the gradual changes going on in the country as the economy declines and people become desperate. Trust, in general, deteriorates and people look to blame China. There are massive job losses leading to riots and protests. This time period is known as the Crisis. We also learn more about what Margaret has been doing since she left her family.
The final part brings all the issues raised in the first two sections to a climatic end, or does it? As much as I admire how empathetically this book is written, I was disappointed with the end. I didn't feel that the level of detail that was used in the first two parts carried into the third. It seems to quickly conclude with too many unanswered questions for me. Yet there is one very significant revelation that will warm your heart.
I still rate the book as a must read! It enables readers to see what a future might look and feel like as we continue to engage in many of the activities described in this novel.
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