Around the Year in 52 Books discussion

#39. A previous suggestion that did not make it into the list

The previous suggestion was "A book recommended to you by a friend". - actually recommended by my son. We do tend to enjoy the same books of fiction.

I finished this book this morning. It's a book about a poor black family in Mississippi in the days leading up to Hurricane Katrina and through to the day after. It is somewhat autobiographical in that the author lived through Katrina with her family. The description of the storm is, therefore, quite realistic. Overall, it's a story of family, love and trust that keeps you turning the pages.

Salvage the Bones


GR synopsis:
A hurricane is building over the Gulf of Mexico, threatening the coastal town of Bois Sauvage, Mississippi, and Esch’s father is growing concerned. A hard drinker, largely absent, he doesnt show concern for much else. Esch and her three brothers are stocking food, but there isn’t much to save. Lately, Esch can’t keep down what food she gets; she’s fourteen and pregnant. Her brother Skeetah is sneaking scraps for his prized pitbull’s new litter, dying one by one in the dirt. Meanwhile, brothers Randall and Junior try to stake their claim in a family long on child’s play and short on parenting.

I am reading this for week 32, a work of historical fiction. I will be starting this one tonight/tomorrow. I am interested in reading this because I don't think I have read much (anything?) surrounding the events of Hurricane Katrina. I went to a work conference back in February where a local speaker got up and talked about what it was like to work at a college that was destroyed by Katrina, and what that meant for her, her staff, and especially for her students and their families. It was really heart wrenching and emotional to hear her story. Though this is a work of fiction, I am going into it with a different mindset now, than I did when I picked it back at the end of 2015.

I was kind of so-so about this book. I loved the story overall, but I disliked the way Ward chose to tell the story. It came across sloppy and disorganized, and often I found myself having troubles keeping up with the timeline jumps between the present time and the past.

The story overall was very emotionally charged and disturbingly realistic.

3/5