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A review by chrissymcbooknerd
Mislaid by Nell Zink
4.0
I'm not quite sure if this book is smarter than I am or not.
So, that might be a strange way to begin my description of Mislaid by Nell Zink, but I can't even decide on a star rating, let alone a thoughtful, coherent review to leave right now.
The story is witty in a strange, satirical way. I mean, just look at the general description of the book - a young lesbian student has sexual relations with her college's resident gay poet professor, resulting in marriage, children, and a life that neither had ever quite imagined. Years of resisting against her nature leaves Peggy unfulfilled and angry, leading her to kidnap her young daughter and reinvent their existence as one that was far more impoverished - as African Americans.
Peggy finds it oddly easy to take on her new racial identity, and finds that nobody really questions the light-skinned blonde child with the social security number of a deceased black girl, so Peggy sees no need for Karen to know that she is actually white, with an emotionally unstable mother and a promiscuous father with enough family money to erase the poverty that the duo experiences in their new lifestyles.
Except, years later - when Karen and her dark-skinned boyfriend attend their first college party, they come across Karen's biological brother, Birdie, in a series of events that threatens the fragile fabrications of the life that Peggy has worked so hard to create for herself and her daughter.
How deep, exactly, does one's racial and familial identity really run - and can one fateful moment be enough to shatter it all?
I think that Mislaid, in its own quirky way, sheds light on racial inequality, racism, and the enormous impact that race, financial status, and familial standing have on the opportunities that life makes available. That said, I'm not entirely positive what, exactly, the author intended to convey - since the characters, while satirical, all ended up being really odd and unsettling - especially the degree to which Peggy was able to believe herself as a poor African American and the ease with which she could transition back again, even encountering the husband of the dead woman whose identity she took in such a calm, casual way that it was almost jarring. But, maybe that's the point.
Overall, I enjoyed the story - precisely because it was so strange, unique, and memorable. But, it's also these same perplexing moments - the ones that left me wondering if the book was smarter than me or just more self-assured without justification than I expected - that left me completely unable to formulate a proper review.
Give it a chance, though. Your results may vary.
So, that might be a strange way to begin my description of Mislaid by Nell Zink, but I can't even decide on a star rating, let alone a thoughtful, coherent review to leave right now.
The story is witty in a strange, satirical way. I mean, just look at the general description of the book - a young lesbian student has sexual relations with her college's resident gay poet professor, resulting in marriage, children, and a life that neither had ever quite imagined. Years of resisting against her nature leaves Peggy unfulfilled and angry, leading her to kidnap her young daughter and reinvent their existence as one that was far more impoverished - as African Americans.
Peggy finds it oddly easy to take on her new racial identity, and finds that nobody really questions the light-skinned blonde child with the social security number of a deceased black girl, so Peggy sees no need for Karen to know that she is actually white, with an emotionally unstable mother and a promiscuous father with enough family money to erase the poverty that the duo experiences in their new lifestyles.
Except, years later - when Karen and her dark-skinned boyfriend attend their first college party, they come across Karen's biological brother, Birdie, in a series of events that threatens the fragile fabrications of the life that Peggy has worked so hard to create for herself and her daughter.
How deep, exactly, does one's racial and familial identity really run - and can one fateful moment be enough to shatter it all?
I think that Mislaid, in its own quirky way, sheds light on racial inequality, racism, and the enormous impact that race, financial status, and familial standing have on the opportunities that life makes available. That said, I'm not entirely positive what, exactly, the author intended to convey - since the characters, while satirical, all ended up being really odd and unsettling - especially the degree to which Peggy was able to believe herself as a poor African American and the ease with which she could transition back again, even encountering the husband of the dead woman whose identity she took in such a calm, casual way that it was almost jarring. But, maybe that's the point.
Overall, I enjoyed the story - precisely because it was so strange, unique, and memorable. But, it's also these same perplexing moments - the ones that left me wondering if the book was smarter than me or just more self-assured without justification than I expected - that left me completely unable to formulate a proper review.
Give it a chance, though. Your results may vary.