I come from a Caribbean/west Indian culture similar to the character in Girl. The person speaking to her with such wisdom, but sternness has to be her mother, grandmother, aunt, or dominant female relation. The main speaker is giving advice on how to be a girl. What to do and not to do. The girl only responds twice about her not singing benna which is considered vulgar. She also asks what if the baker say she cannot squeeze the bread. Like a docile island girl, she understands she is to be seen and not heard. Brings back a lot of memories.

Collection of short stores in the form of flash fiction. Used as a textbook for my class in summer 2020 covid-19 time. I wish there were more stores from Africa and the carribbean. Very interesting to see how others around the world view or express themselves through writing. Enjoyable.

***Spoilers***

Notes I made along the way reading this masterpiece:
1. Why did I think the author was male? Was it her style of writing or simply her name? Gillian (Jillian)...
2. Amy is rare but nick is most people
3. I do not feel bad for Lance Nicholas Dunne
4. Good guys can make mistakes, but sociopaths with a lack of emotion and selflessness are another realm
5. One of the few book adaptions where the actresss hit everything on the nail shoutout to her
6. Amy is 99.999% an aquarius (I am an aquarius)
7. I wish desi was more explained cause that "Bates Motel" had a lot of damage
8. Should someone save Nick?

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. A lot to unpack about the female psyche. To be crazy or not we truly are capable of making change and moving mountains. My favorite character Amy and least favorite Gilpian. Polar opposites he didn't question enough to simple but at least he isnt a liar, murderer, and evil thing...right? Only 9 people will ever know the truth of Mrs.Elliott-Dunne: Nick, Go, Rohnda, Tanner and Betsy, Hilary, Desi (In the end), Tommy, Jacqueline...Maybe the future son will see it too but highly doubtful by 65%. People can be so dumb, so awful, and yet think they deserve better. I feel bad for Margot she will suffer the most. I am glad their mom passed because that case would have killed her or she would have killed amy. In a spinoff book special ending I can see Jacquline, tommy, hilary, or margot someone who knows the snake in camoflauge will murder Amy or try to. After the baby most likely. But she would never be foolish enough to let them close to her, nick, and Jr. The poor kid won't know the truth ever. Amy wouldn't let nick outlive her probably. Imagine is amy was male then that would be Jr. for the world's sake i would hope not. I did not appreciate the extent of her lies. I have never been comfortable with lying to people. Why lie was always my thoughts so I don't do it. But her mind twisted maze of logic, reasona dn self righteousness is pure Death Note vengence and Game of Thrones Queen dragon egotistical tale of absurd actions. Her parent were dead wrong in writing those books. After the successful birth of amy they should have sought couple and seperate therapy.

Questions:
Do they move back to New York?
Does the ending imply she had to punish nick once again?
How does she keep Noelle her BFF in check from driving her mad?
Will Amy sell the bar?

Perfection

The Color Purple healed my soul and opened new wounds.

I wasn't born when this book was published. I was 7 when the film came out. It stuck in my mind. Everything about it is beautiful, sad, and raw. Reading it for the first time is so pure and nostalgic. I am so happy to have been gifted such a lovely book. I hope to pass it down to my sister and kids one day. Thanks Sarah!

This book had me laughing and feeling so much. Her second installment is just a beautiful as the first. I felt I was seeing her not only grow in age but wisdom. And young maya was not the brightest. Things would happen to her that blew my mind. So many red flags that she was simply color blind to. I am excited to read the third autobiography to find out what is next for her, guy, her brother, and mother. Will she finally learn that writing is her gift? Will she have confidence in love in her self? I have no idea anything is possible in in the next five books.

I enjoyed this book. I have never read a sci-fi book by a black woman. I hope to find many more. I wish there was a sequel to it. I did not like rufus from the beginning. Wasn't sure if it was my general dislike for racist and white but i was right. I loved how graphic the violence was because slavery was a thousand times more worse than anyone can imagine. Interesting how they are all connected. I would love to know the fate of Sarah, Nigel, and the other characters as well.

This book is so goddamn good. I could not put the book down. I kept reading to see what emma jean's crazy ass would do next. It definitely shows how Arkansas in the 30s-40s+ was like for black american people. I felt so bad for perfect & paul and his brothers.They were a family full of gifts and talents. A blessing in each child. Unfortunately in a lot of black families the trauma of our ancestors and family deeply damages us. If EJ had simply went to her mother when her sister asked the first time the book would have much shorter. The pain of torment, assault, confusion, self hate, colorism, and so much love was incredible. Many of the characters simply wanted to be loved. For who they were or weren't. But ugliness and blackness just couldn't let that be. I think all the boys would get married and have kids beside M and RJ maybe they would adopt if they wanted kids. And they would have a bunch of girls who look as beautiful as EJ.Paul and ella mae should be together as his tailor and fashion design thing set off. Or they could find each other partners to make them happy if they aren't enough for each other. Gus could remarry or simply die a happy man knowing her did the best he could by EJ and the boys. Perfect peace touched me just as Golden boy, When the heart is a home, and others like it had. I am so grateful for the blessings I have and the pain i have overcome.

I have never been to new york. I want to visit would never live there. but this book made me interested. In the boroughs and culture of the state. I will never go to staten island. She was the worst avatar. I wasn't sure if she was just white, white-passing, or biracial. She knew loads about her irish culture which is fine. At first i felt bad for her but then she just became annoying. All the people around her won and made her desperate. It was hilarious and not surprising. She deserved it in the end. She believed everything and saw nothing wrong with the injustices. I like the other cities and they had many unlikable qualities. I am excited for the next book about great cities. Found myself skimming to find out what the cities would say or do next. The imagery was incredible i felt like i was with them the entire time. I experienced so many emotions reading this masterpiece I am sad i never found Jemisin sooner.