![]() Marguerite and her brother live with their grandmother in the rural American South in the 1930-40s. She has many formative and- at times- disturbing experiences throughout her adolescence, both in the South and while she visits California. Marguerite's story is one of triumph as she comes of age in a racist and conservative society. I read this book because I had not read it before. It is wildly famous and often referenced, so I wanted to be "in" the next time it came up. Honestly, I did not immediately love this novel, though I see the tremendous strength and value of Angelou's words. I found the novel more engaging the farther I read. Now I've read it and know it and will feel cultured the next time it comes up.
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![]() Taylor Greer buys an old beater, changes her name, and trades in her Kentucky hometown for the desert of Arizona all in the first couple chapters of this novel. What comes next is a heartwarming tale of the power of family: both by blood and by choice. Alongside Taylor, main characters include an undocumented couple from Guatemala, a Native American child, an older widow-lady, and a live-in best friend. I first read this novel as required summer reading when I was thirteen years old. I did not quite get it then and I remember struggling to even imagine what Arizona looks like. But then, I read the novel again this past spring as an adult and the whole thing came to life for me. There are still many elements I do not directly relate to, but Taylor and Lou Ann's relationship strikes a chord. Plus, I love the themes on people and life that Kingsolver weaves into the story. |
J. HiEBERBibliophile Archives
June 2020
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