February 2.0

Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward

All I can say is, "My daughter was right." She said this is Ward's best book and I cannot disagree, though I did love Men We Reaped and Sing Unburied Sing. Just her second novel, Salvage is set in the days prior to Katrina, in a coastal Mississippi town that is dripping with poverty. The main character, Esch, is the fourteen year old pregnant sister living in a family of males (father, two older brothers, and her seven year old youngest brother whose birth caused her mother's death). This family will break your heart; it did mine. The animal abuse will disturb you; it did me. The sexual abuse will anger you; I struggled mightily. Yet, when we view this story 

Flamer by Mike Curato

A fourteen year old biracial boy struggling with his sexual identity, a summer Boy Scout camp, and learning how to navigate the social world of teen boys, Mike Curato combines all these ideas into a beautiful graphic novel. This book made me laugh out loud, wrung my heart at the homophobia and prejudice prevalent in life, and think so often of the trauma our kids have to go through just to make it to young adulthood. It isn't as easy as made-for-television movies would have us believe, and this book blends the happy, sad, and traumatic perfectly. 

The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi

Set in India in 1955, this is the story of Lakshmi, a young woman who fled an abusive marriage and has built a life for herself, as the henna artist for the wealthy women in the city. Through her work, she also hears the gossips, helps to arrange relationships, and provides herbal treatments. Yet when her young sister, whose existence she knew nothing of finds her, Lakshmi's world is irrevocably changes. This is some fabulous storytelling, with compelling characters and an insider's view of how the caste system, post-independence movement, still dominated Indian society. I find myself often thinking about Isabel Wilkerson's book Caste as I read of the injustices in Lakshmi's life. Occasionally, I found the plot line a bit predictable but it did not take away the sheer enjoyment of the entertainment.

The Shadow King by Maaza Mengiste

"Above the girl who no longer has a head, who no longer has words, who no longer has a memory, who no longer has a name, who is only a remembrance sinking into the dark hold of the forgotten." Wow. Just let that sentence roll over your tongue and through your brain a few times. Mengiste is a writer of stupendous talent, writing lyrically of a time period of which I had never heard, the invasion of Ethiopia by Mussolini in 1935. She takes the framework of The Iliad and places this conflict into the age old telling of war, of battles fought ceaselessly, of unsung heroes, of Amazon women, of weak men, of betrayal, of honor. This book is not for everyone; at times, it slowed to a snail's pace, and at other times it shreds the heart. But it left me in awe of what a great writer can do with her words and how a hidden history can be sung to the world.

First Come Like (Modern Love, #3) by Alisha Rai

Let's just preface this with the common knowledge that I don't really love rom-com books; yet, I do see the value of them. For one, they're a nice break from super sad, or tragic, or gory, or dark. So, when I choose to read one (or listen, as in this case), I like to opt for one by a writer of color, in this case Rai is a South Asian-American writer who 'specializes' in romance. Her female lead is an American woman with Pakistani Muslim parents, who works as an 'influencer' after dropping out of medical school. Her love interest is an Indian Hindu man whose entire family is Bollywood royalty. At times silly, at times implausible, at times spot on, at times giving great insight into cultures and work lives I know little about, and always just a fun book to listen to. This book was cute and entertaining, and a nice change from the all-white casts of most rom-coms.

Yellow Crocus by Laila Ibrahim

A tale of antebellum Virginia, this is the story of Mattie, a slave who is taken from her own baby and moved into the 'big house' to be a wet nurse to Lisbeth. It is story of their years together, the way Lisbeth begins to view slavery, as well as how Mattie sees her life and future. It is a compelling read that goes quickly, yet I felt it was a white-washed view of slavery, water-skiing across the surface of the brutality of the system. However, I also found the bond that forms between these two to be inspiring and heartfelt, and ultimately to be a memorable read.

The Beauty in Breaking by Michele Harper

A memoir of a young Black ER doctor, this book had sat on my shelf for months; Black History month was a good time to pick it up finally! And while I found parts of it interesting, it was not an overly compelling book for me. I was interested in Harper's patient stories, especially the ones at the VA hospital, and I liked the intertwining of her own personal lie and struggles she wove throughout the story. Yet, I could not find the human in this book, the deep introspection I wanted, the honest look at her life choices; it felt at times like she skated across her life and did more telling than showing. Or perhaps I just wasn't in the mood for this one?  I know many readers have enjoyed this one - I just found it a bit bland and forgettable.