genre: historical fiction
Iris and Aubrey did not intend for Melody to exist - but one choice as young teenagers meant that they became parents and their two very disparate lives intertwined in the most lasting of ways. In a clash of wealth and class, Melody knows that her history is a complicated one, stretching to the wealth of pre-Tulsa Massacre and beyond on one side to drifting poverty on the other. With generational trauma adding layers of pain in between the deep and abiding love that parents can have for their children, Red at the Bone looks hard at how relationships, place and legacy can impact how solidly we are grounded as human beings.
This books is gorgeously written. It is short but not sparse - it is deep and its roots are tangled. My heart ached for the way choices can change lives and I found actual comfort in the love that different characters have for each other: grandparents for grandchildren, sons for mothers, fathers for daughters. Yes, there is dysfunction but it stands out so starkly - and it’s so clear that pain is causing it. This book would make a great discussion on so many issues - Jacklyn Woodson is truly a master storyteller.
Note: sexual situations and language
No comments:
Post a Comment