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popthebutterfly 's review for:
The Talking Drum
by Lisa Braxton
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: The Talking Drum
Author: Lisa Braxton
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 4/5
Recommended For...: historical fiction, immigration, black history
Publication Date: May 30, 2020
Genre: Historical Fiction
Recommended Age: 16+ (arson, violence)
Publisher: Inanna Publications
Pages: 350
Synopsis: Displacement/gentrification has been happening for generations, yet few novels have been written with the themes of gentrification, which makes this book unusual.
It is 1971. The fictional city of Bellport, Massachusetts, is in decline with an urban redevelopment project on the horizon expected to transform this dying factory town into a thriving economic center. This planned transformation has a profound effect on the residents who live in Bellport as their own personal transformations take place.
Sydney Stallworth steps away from her fellowship and law studies at an elite university to support husband Malachi’s dream of opening a business in the heart of the black community of his hometown, Bellport.
For Omar Bassari, an immigrant from Senegal, Bellport is where he will establish his drumming career and the launching pad from which he will spread African culture across the world, while trying to hold onto his marriage.
Della Tolliver has built a fragile sanctuary in Bellport for herself, boyfriend Kwamé Rodriguez, and daughter Jasmine, a troubled child prone to nightmares and outbursts.
Tensions rise as the demolition date moves closer, plans for gentrification are laid out, and the pace of suspicious fires picks up. The residents find themselves at odds with a political system manipulating their lives and question the future of their relationships.
The Talking Drum explores intra-racial, class, and cross-cultural tensions, along with the meaning of community and belonging.
The novel delves into the profound impact gentrification has on people in many neighborhoods, and the way in which being uprooted affects the fabric of their families, friendships, and emotional well-being. The Talking Drum not only explores the immigrant experience, but how the immigrant/African American neighborhood interface leads to friction and tension, a theme also not explored much in current literature involving immigrants.
The book is a springboard to an important discussion on race and class differences, the treatment of immigrants, as well as the government’s relationship to society.
Review: I think this book is really good. The book had a great story and it’s a very important one to tell, especially with what’s going on right now. The book was impactful and I think that the writing did pretty well with the subject and with conveying the emotion. The book also had great world building.
However, I do think that the book had a lot of slow paced moments and that made the read a bit slowed down for me. The book also has a really lengthy synopsis that I think gives away too much of the novel and should be trimmed down a bit.
Verdict: Well done novel.
Book: The Talking Drum
Author: Lisa Braxton
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 4/5
Recommended For...: historical fiction, immigration, black history
Publication Date: May 30, 2020
Genre: Historical Fiction
Recommended Age: 16+ (arson, violence)
Publisher: Inanna Publications
Pages: 350
Synopsis: Displacement/gentrification has been happening for generations, yet few novels have been written with the themes of gentrification, which makes this book unusual.
It is 1971. The fictional city of Bellport, Massachusetts, is in decline with an urban redevelopment project on the horizon expected to transform this dying factory town into a thriving economic center. This planned transformation has a profound effect on the residents who live in Bellport as their own personal transformations take place.
Sydney Stallworth steps away from her fellowship and law studies at an elite university to support husband Malachi’s dream of opening a business in the heart of the black community of his hometown, Bellport.
For Omar Bassari, an immigrant from Senegal, Bellport is where he will establish his drumming career and the launching pad from which he will spread African culture across the world, while trying to hold onto his marriage.
Della Tolliver has built a fragile sanctuary in Bellport for herself, boyfriend Kwamé Rodriguez, and daughter Jasmine, a troubled child prone to nightmares and outbursts.
Tensions rise as the demolition date moves closer, plans for gentrification are laid out, and the pace of suspicious fires picks up. The residents find themselves at odds with a political system manipulating their lives and question the future of their relationships.
The Talking Drum explores intra-racial, class, and cross-cultural tensions, along with the meaning of community and belonging.
The novel delves into the profound impact gentrification has on people in many neighborhoods, and the way in which being uprooted affects the fabric of their families, friendships, and emotional well-being. The Talking Drum not only explores the immigrant experience, but how the immigrant/African American neighborhood interface leads to friction and tension, a theme also not explored much in current literature involving immigrants.
The book is a springboard to an important discussion on race and class differences, the treatment of immigrants, as well as the government’s relationship to society.
Review: I think this book is really good. The book had a great story and it’s a very important one to tell, especially with what’s going on right now. The book was impactful and I think that the writing did pretty well with the subject and with conveying the emotion. The book also had great world building.
However, I do think that the book had a lot of slow paced moments and that made the read a bit slowed down for me. The book also has a really lengthy synopsis that I think gives away too much of the novel and should be trimmed down a bit.
Verdict: Well done novel.