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waytoomanybooks's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This book was an assigned reading, and I'm quite glad of that. It's a powerful book that I wouldn't have known about had it not been assigned to me. It's a raw look at post-WWI and pre-WWII life for black people in Jim Crow America. Each poem or short story is a deeply rich snapshot. The prose is packed and requires multiple read throughs to unpack. This is an excellen text to use to get a feel for/scratch the surface of a large portion of American history that just isn't taught in schools but absolutely should be.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Dementia, Grief, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism