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kutreen's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I'm a sucker for sisterhoods. This book is much more profound than other stories about sisterhoods I've read and watched, which are more fun and light-hearted. The plot point that enables the book to dig deeper is that the main character's mother experienced heartbreak (both romantic and familial) as a child and a very stressful early motherhood, which, through her resulting behavior, heavily influenced her daughter's (the main character) view of her mother and love. The writing is so smooth and easy and the imagery is tantalizing.
While I had a lovely experience reading this, I also grew a bit annoyed by the end because the main character and her mother's lives are not very relatable. I personally felt that the hardships they experienced in their childhood and early motherhood were far outweighed by the richness they had in other areas of life. They were white in the deep south in the mid-1900s, they were financially rich, they grew up with maids, the mother grew up with incredible friends who were always by her side, and the main character's mother was generally a great mother. There is a moment at the end of the book when the main character says "if God is good to me..." and I just thought, God has been good to you! If you grew up financially and socially blessed (no hate), then this book will probably be less annoying and more meaningful to you. Bonus points if you love flowers.
A minor grievance I have with this book is how big women and black women are described with, at most, half the femininity of small white women. The big and black women always act like parental figures, protectors, and fighters. The small women were delightfully tiny (so much so that one of the Ya-Yas is called "Teensy" her whole life), and they are perfect for getting picked up and swung around by huge men (ok, this happens like twice). I also thought it was weird how Vivi and Sidda's brothers adored them; did anyone else? And the mother and daughter (and other Ya-Yas) have semi-obsessions with staying thin, which is never addressed, just mentioned as if every woman wants a flat stomach and that's normal.
While I had a lovely experience reading this, I also grew a bit annoyed by the end because the main character and her mother's lives are not very relatable. I personally felt that the hardships they experienced in their childhood and early motherhood were far outweighed by the richness they had in other areas of life. They were white in the deep south in the mid-1900s, they were financially rich, they grew up with maids, the mother grew up with incredible friends who were always by her side, and the main character's mother was generally a great mother. There is a moment at the end of the book when the main character says "if God is good to me..." and I just thought, God has been good to you! If you grew up financially and socially blessed (no hate), then this book will probably be less annoying and more meaningful to you. Bonus points if you love flowers.
A minor grievance I have with this book is how big women and black women are described with, at most, half the femininity of small white women. The big and black women always act like parental figures, protectors, and fighters. The small women were delightfully tiny (so much so that one of the Ya-Yas is called "Teensy" her whole life), and they are perfect for getting picked up and swung around by huge men (ok, this happens like twice).
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and War
Minor: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Violence, Excrement, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Abandonment