emilyfredrickson's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
gabsalott13's review against another edition
4.0
I try not to say this often so I won’t say it lightly—this is a very important book, with a sort of attentive brevity that you rarely see in work deemed “important.” In less than 200 pages, I felt overwhelmed by and completely aware of these characters, many of whom are the sort of long-suffering matriarchs and caretakers who rarely become the focal points of fiction. There are so many beautifully rendered moments of unexpected friendships, alliances, and romances here, ones that sneak up in your soul and depart as quickly as they came, leaving you in all sorts of feelings.
In some ways, Blackberries, Blackberries reminded me of [b:What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky|31522415|What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky|Lesley Nneka Arimah|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1474622115s/31522415.jpg|52207427]—like [a:Lesley Nneka Arimah|14548993|Lesley Nneka Arimah|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png], [a:Crystal Wilkinson|214227|Crystal Wilkinson|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1305145412p2/214227.jpg] is unbelievably skilled in composing full-fleshed characters in several short sentences. Sometimes, this backfired a bit—I did wish we saw more of these characters, perhaps through their recurrence in other stories. One of the obstacles with flash fiction is that its quantity can often obscure quality—after about ten of the stories had passed, I began to blur the dozens of protagonists together, and often had to go back to gain the full merit of each story.
My hands-down favorite story in the collection is “The Awakening,” a small story near the start about a long-suffering woman who builds herself a much deserved day off. Wilkinson vividly imagines her characters outside of the roles society sees for them, and forces you to do the same. I found myself with new perspectives on people generally considered to be little more than matronly, ungodly, or backwards (they are all delightfully country.)
This book is experiencing something of a renaissance, what with a new publication and renewed attention from prominent Southern writers like [a:Nikky Finney|498025|Nikky Finney|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1394122720p2/498025.jpg]. I can’t help but think about how important a contribution Wilkinson’s voice is to our (Black, Southern) literary tradition, as she centers a region of the South (Appalachia) we rarely get black stories from, though clearly there are many to be told. She left me fond of and stunned by the hills and hollers of her home—you see, in the urban North, where every block of land is mapped and accounted for, you can only be so surprised by where you end up—not so much for Wilkinson’s Kentucky. It is this unknowing while knowing your whole life, this small-town caliber of revelation, that makes Blackberries, Blackberries so compelling and mysterious.
After finishing this one, I’m eager to read the work of more black Kentuckians, including that of [a:Gayl Jones|51895|Gayl Jones|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1317129411p2/51895.jpg], one of Wilkinson’s self-described mentors; including [a:Leesa Cross-Smith|6569545|Leesa Cross-Smith|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1393977141p2/6569545.jpg]’s upcoming novel, [b:Whiskey & Ribbons: A Novel|38219710|Whiskey & Ribbons A Novel|Leesa Cross-Smith|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1517089933s/38219710.jpg|57740792]; and of course, including more of this author. I am rushing to fit Wilkinson’s 2016 novel, [b:The Birds of Opulence|26702833|The Birds of Opulence|Crystal Wilkinson|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1444681311s/26702833.jpg|46731348], into my March or April TBR, in hopes of getting to live with her people for a bit longer.
Technical Note: this edition, published in 2017 by the University Press of Kentucky, has a gorgeous cover I would love to upload to Goodreads. Does anyone know how I might do this, without creating a new edition of the book altogether? The instructions I read were not exactly helpful on this matter…
In some ways, Blackberries, Blackberries reminded me of [b:What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky|31522415|What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky|Lesley Nneka Arimah|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1474622115s/31522415.jpg|52207427]—like [a:Lesley Nneka Arimah|14548993|Lesley Nneka Arimah|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png], [a:Crystal Wilkinson|214227|Crystal Wilkinson|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1305145412p2/214227.jpg] is unbelievably skilled in composing full-fleshed characters in several short sentences. Sometimes, this backfired a bit—I did wish we saw more of these characters, perhaps through their recurrence in other stories. One of the obstacles with flash fiction is that its quantity can often obscure quality—after about ten of the stories had passed, I began to blur the dozens of protagonists together, and often had to go back to gain the full merit of each story.
My hands-down favorite story in the collection is “The Awakening,” a small story near the start about a long-suffering woman who builds herself a much deserved day off. Wilkinson vividly imagines her characters outside of the roles society sees for them, and forces you to do the same. I found myself with new perspectives on people generally considered to be little more than matronly, ungodly, or backwards (they are all delightfully country.)
This book is experiencing something of a renaissance, what with a new publication and renewed attention from prominent Southern writers like [a:Nikky Finney|498025|Nikky Finney|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1394122720p2/498025.jpg]. I can’t help but think about how important a contribution Wilkinson’s voice is to our (Black, Southern) literary tradition, as she centers a region of the South (Appalachia) we rarely get black stories from, though clearly there are many to be told. She left me fond of and stunned by the hills and hollers of her home—you see, in the urban North, where every block of land is mapped and accounted for, you can only be so surprised by where you end up—not so much for Wilkinson’s Kentucky. It is this unknowing while knowing your whole life, this small-town caliber of revelation, that makes Blackberries, Blackberries so compelling and mysterious.
After finishing this one, I’m eager to read the work of more black Kentuckians, including that of [a:Gayl Jones|51895|Gayl Jones|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1317129411p2/51895.jpg], one of Wilkinson’s self-described mentors; including [a:Leesa Cross-Smith|6569545|Leesa Cross-Smith|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1393977141p2/6569545.jpg]’s upcoming novel, [b:Whiskey & Ribbons: A Novel|38219710|Whiskey & Ribbons A Novel|Leesa Cross-Smith|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1517089933s/38219710.jpg|57740792]; and of course, including more of this author. I am rushing to fit Wilkinson’s 2016 novel, [b:The Birds of Opulence|26702833|The Birds of Opulence|Crystal Wilkinson|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1444681311s/26702833.jpg|46731348], into my March or April TBR, in hopes of getting to live with her people for a bit longer.
Technical Note: this edition, published in 2017 by the University Press of Kentucky, has a gorgeous cover I would love to upload to Goodreads. Does anyone know how I might do this, without creating a new edition of the book altogether? The instructions I read were not exactly helpful on this matter…
crissytrap's review
5.0
What I appreciated about these stories is the way that Wilkinson was able to draw us into everyone of her characters' lives and then really just give us these moments in such alluring detail. There is an inherent "life goes on" feeling about many of them and that whether it's a woman trying unsuccessfully to break the bonds of a controlling mother or another keeping a horrible secret from her mother so long that she finally breaks and kills her abusive husband and ends up in prison, these women are so real, but never overly dramatized or sad. I think that's why I liked this book so much. Wilkinson was able to hold that balance between the darkness in the lives of these women and the sense of hopefulness so there is an underlying sense of optimism in many of these pieces, but neither overpowers the other.
peachani's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
1.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Sexual assault
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Blood, Infidelity, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Death of parent, Domestic abuse, and Emotional abuse
ksherman712's review
5.0
Stories of womanness from girlhood to death and dying.
Couldn’t love it more if I tried.
Couldn’t love it more if I tried.
cameesreads's review
4.0
I had this on my list because I don't read many works from published by small presses and want to make more of an effort to read books from these kinds of sources. The author was local-ish to me and her Kentucky roots showed in every short story. This was one lyrical and mesmerizing collection.
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