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I am BLOWN AWAY by this book. I loved it so much, I couldn't put it down. I wish I had read it sooner!
Homegoing starts with the stories of two sisters in Africa during the height of the slave trade. Effia marries a white man and lives in a British castle on the coast while, unbeknownst to her, her half sister Esi is captured to be sold as a slave and is in chains in the castle basement.
Every chapter of this book is narrated by a descendent of Effia or Esi. The book follows their lineage through the slave wars in Africa to the civil rights movement in America. The epic and weaving family narrative reminded me of one of my other favorite books, One Hundred Years of Solitude.
Even though we only meet each character for a brief chapter, they were so well written and developed that I felt instantly connected and attached to them. They all felt truly human. I liked this book so, so much more than The Underground Railroad. Yaa Gyasi does more for character development in a few paragraphs than Colson Whitehead did in a whole book, in my (seemingly unpopular) opinion.
I would recommend this book to literally everyone... and if they didn't like it, I might pretend that was okay but secretly be judging their taste. For real though, this book is absolutely worth a read. New favorite for sure. Can't rave enough!
Homegoing starts with the stories of two sisters in Africa during the height of the slave trade. Effia marries a white man and lives in a British castle on the coast while, unbeknownst to her, her half sister Esi is captured to be sold as a slave and is in chains in the castle basement.
Every chapter of this book is narrated by a descendent of Effia or Esi. The book follows their lineage through the slave wars in Africa to the civil rights movement in America. The epic and weaving family narrative reminded me of one of my other favorite books, One Hundred Years of Solitude.
Even though we only meet each character for a brief chapter, they were so well written and developed that I felt instantly connected and attached to them. They all felt truly human. I liked this book so, so much more than The Underground Railroad. Yaa Gyasi does more for character development in a few paragraphs than Colson Whitehead did in a whole book, in my (seemingly unpopular) opinion.
I would recommend this book to literally everyone... and if they didn't like it, I might pretend that was okay but secretly be judging their taste. For real though, this book is absolutely worth a read. New favorite for sure. Can't rave enough!
This book is short and to the point. It perfectly summarizes the importance of feminism eloquently and logically. I would recommend this to everyone.
I DNF this book... kind of mad that I even wasted time starting it. I forced myself through about 50 pages before I remembered that life is too short to read books you are actively hating. BOTM really blew it with this choice... I don't know who could possibly like this book. It was so cringe-y and not even well written and the characters and plot really fell flat. Wouldn't recommend at all.
I had heard good things about this book, and since it was set so close to home for me (born and raised in Kentucky) I just had to read it. Hillbilly Elegy is about the author's childhood in Middletown, Ohio, his family, and the growing discontent of the working class. Vance used personal experiences and anecdotes to share insight on the way "hillbillies" think, and why their culture is the way it is.
Although I'm also from Kentucky, my childhood was nothing like Vance's. He grew up in a drug infused home with lots of family drama, primarily brought on by his mom. Vance shares how he overcame his dysfunctional upbringing to eventually graduate from Yale Law School. I enjoyed this book, but I didn't really connect with it emotionally, which is why I only gave it 3 stars.
This book will definitely give readers insight on the white working class. Reading this came at a good time for me, and helped me to understand why some people voted the way they did in the recent election.
Although I'm also from Kentucky, my childhood was nothing like Vance's. He grew up in a drug infused home with lots of family drama, primarily brought on by his mom. Vance shares how he overcame his dysfunctional upbringing to eventually graduate from Yale Law School. I enjoyed this book, but I didn't really connect with it emotionally, which is why I only gave it 3 stars.
This book will definitely give readers insight on the white working class. Reading this came at a good time for me, and helped me to understand why some people voted the way they did in the recent election.
