Reviews

An extraordinary book. Dull and apparently pointless threads of narrative cross, overlap, weave together and suddenly merge into a delicately detailed tapestry of a time and community very unknown today. Few books are more aptly named or carefully wrought.

hawaiian_hedgehog's review

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challenging dark emotional reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

kalervonpoika's review against another edition

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3.0

This book is essentially having a conversation with God in the form of a dog about Henry Townsend and his plantation. There are a lot of squirrels and cats that don't need to be chased that are, in the end, chased. Now, I've seen that a lot of people take issue with this, but sometimes it's the digressions that make a dog worth it (i.e. Antman guy). That being said, I rather liked this book more than I expected. Would I have sought it out? Goodness no! I read fantasy and so this is not really my thing, but it was selected by a trusted friend as part of a deal, and she chose well! So if you're wondering whether you should read this, here's my opinion. I'm giving it 3 stars because I liked it. The pros are that it isn't an absolutist look on slavery, something that I appreciate (as a Black person), the core story is interesting, and the narration is interesting. The cons are that this book seems to be dedicated to finding every single miniscule loose end that I couldn't give two hoots about, and tying it with a bow and that the narration is interesting (it can really be a hit or miss sometimes). Read it, it's a fine book!