mcnamasa's review
4.0
All of the stories were well written and engaging. Some were more interesting than others, but the collection is definitely worth a read.
lizmart88's review
4.0
Wow! Extraordinary group of short stories. I often find anthologies to be mixed bag of good vs great but pretty much every story in this collection blew me away.
As the title implies, it's a collection by poc authors writing about poc characters. And while race is centered and portrayed authentically, it's not the focus of any story. Rather, it's about the little, the ordinary, the everyday moments that define our lives. Every story has a very different feel of course, but all of them bring their own loveliness.
Read and enjoy!
As the title implies, it's a collection by poc authors writing about poc characters. And while race is centered and portrayed authentically, it's not the focus of any story. Rather, it's about the little, the ordinary, the everyday moments that define our lives. Every story has a very different feel of course, but all of them bring their own loveliness.
Read and enjoy!
i_masad's review
5.0
In this thread, I discuss various craft elements the incredible stories in this book work with, and the glorious Jennifer Baker who edited this anthology chimes in with her thoughts as well, so check it out, it's good reading:
https://twitter.com/ilanaslightly/status/1072539048449896449
https://twitter.com/ilanaslightly/status/1072539048449896449
mxmarymoon's review
5.0
There isn't a single story in this anthology that isn't, in some way, heart-readingly beautiful. There's also a HUGE reading list at the end that I'm excited to try and make my way through.
tonireads's review
4.0
Over the years I’ve developed an appreciation for short stories. I used to resent not having the ending and knowing what happened. Now I can enjoy them from a different place. I’m enjoying not knowing the full stories. Because that’s how life is.
Everyday People is a collection of fourteen short stories by a diverse group of writers of color. While the work can be considered contemporary fiction, the writing spans several different writing styles, experiences and points of view. It’s almost impossible to choose a favorite, but A Sheltered Woman by Yiyun Li is very close. A Chinese woman works taking care of newborn babies and helping their breastfeeding moms. She doesn’t stay past the time she is needed, moving on to another family when the babies are a month old. Her current employer, however, is finding it difficult to accept her new role as a mother.
Other favorites include High Pursuit by Mitchell S. Jackson (something about it just felt like ‘home’), Wisdom by Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond, and The Kontrabida by Mia Alvar. A great bonus at the end of the book is a Reading List of Contemporary Works by Women, Nonbinary, and Transgender Writers of Color/Indigenous Writers. It’s a very comprehensive list covering many genres that I will revisit again and again.
Everyday People is a collection of fourteen short stories by a diverse group of writers of color. While the work can be considered contemporary fiction, the writing spans several different writing styles, experiences and points of view. It’s almost impossible to choose a favorite, but A Sheltered Woman by Yiyun Li is very close. A Chinese woman works taking care of newborn babies and helping their breastfeeding moms. She doesn’t stay past the time she is needed, moving on to another family when the babies are a month old. Her current employer, however, is finding it difficult to accept her new role as a mother.
Other favorites include High Pursuit by Mitchell S. Jackson (something about it just felt like ‘home’), Wisdom by Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond, and The Kontrabida by Mia Alvar. A great bonus at the end of the book is a Reading List of Contemporary Works by Women, Nonbinary, and Transgender Writers of Color/Indigenous Writers. It’s a very comprehensive list covering many genres that I will revisit again and again.
crankylibrarian's review
3.0
An African American minister, trapped in his flipped car reminisces about his estranged son. A recovering addict is repelled and intrigued by the 1st Nations prison inmate who scorns her for being a “mixed blood”. A “ghost talker” who collects unhappy spirits yearns for the ghost of the person she loves most. These are a few of the unforgettable characters peopling this rich banquet of tales by African American, Latinix, Native American, and Asian storytellers.
Diverse in styles and settings as well as ethnicity, Baker offers love stories, ghost stories, crime fiction, fantasy, and horror. There are immigrants grasping to reconnect to their culture of origin, and others in flight from it. There are tales set in the big cities, and bayous; Nigeria and New York and New Orleans and Nebraska. While the collection includes familiar names like Alexander Chee, Jason Reynolds, and Junot Diaz, Baker also gives space to the fresh voices of Allison Mills, Carleigh Baker, Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond, and Hasnathika Sirisena. A delight; highly recommended for cross-cultural collections.
REVIEW ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN BOOKLIST
Diverse in styles and settings as well as ethnicity, Baker offers love stories, ghost stories, crime fiction, fantasy, and horror. There are immigrants grasping to reconnect to their culture of origin, and others in flight from it. There are tales set in the big cities, and bayous; Nigeria and New York and New Orleans and Nebraska. While the collection includes familiar names like Alexander Chee, Jason Reynolds, and Junot Diaz, Baker also gives space to the fresh voices of Allison Mills, Carleigh Baker, Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond, and Hasnathika Sirisena. A delight; highly recommended for cross-cultural collections.
REVIEW ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN BOOKLIST
biancachristine's review
5.0
Everyday People is diverse in culture and tone. It accomplished exactly what I was hoping: the exploration of the human experience.
vikreads's review
5.0
This body of work is phenomenal, unforgettable characters, heart wrenching tales. The stories are not just written by diverse authors- but are diverse in setting, tone, styles. Following superstitions, crimes, love stories, to the lives and cultures of immigrants in big cities and in nameless towns.
And to make it even better, at the end of it all- there’s a list of contemporary work written by women, non binary, transgender writers of color/indigenous writers. So we can all stop white washing our book shelves.
And to make it even better, at the end of it all- there’s a list of contemporary work written by women, non binary, transgender writers of color/indigenous writers. So we can all stop white washing our book shelves.
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