A review by bahareads
Uncertain Kin by Janice Lynn Mather
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
4.5
4.5 stars - I would like to preface this review by saying I am a Bahamian so this is an #OwnVoice review.
I am not a big short story collection fan because they tend to be a mixed bag for me. However, Mather did not disappoint. There was not one story in this collection that didn't hit me in a powerful way. These stories may seem just like that - stories, but they speak to the very real and lived experiences of many Bahamian (and Caribbean) women. I have read Mather's other works and this has been by far my favourite of hers. I can see her growth as an author in this collection. This collection was marketed as an "adult" novel, but I found it still be more YA in nature and with the age of the characters.
The book was split into four sections - the stories having similar themes - and my favourite section was A Bond Unseen. All of those stories hit in a way that's hard to explain. There wasn’t a story in this book that I thought didn’t belong. I love seeing my dialect, my culture, and places familiar to me in the pages of a book. It speaks to my literary soul to see my dialect on the pages of a book (I actually would have liked to see even more). I wish Mather had transferred the dialect into the character's thoughts as well. Some of the stories - like Princess - reminded me of ones my aunties have told me about their youth or - like Mango Summer - reminded me of the Marco Archer case. Mather captures Bahamians in The Bahamas and those who immigrate to Canada in a way that makes them come to life. The everyday challenges of life were captured perfectly well. These stories are will stick with you.
I am not a big short story collection fan because they tend to be a mixed bag for me. However, Mather did not disappoint. There was not one story in this collection that didn't hit me in a powerful way. These stories may seem just like that - stories, but they speak to the very real and lived experiences of many Bahamian (and Caribbean) women. I have read Mather's other works and this has been by far my favourite of hers. I can see her growth as an author in this collection. This collection was marketed as an "adult" novel, but I found it still be more YA in nature and with the age of the characters.
The book was split into four sections - the stories having similar themes - and my favourite section was A Bond Unseen. All of those stories hit in a way that's hard to explain. There wasn’t a story in this book that I thought didn’t belong. I love seeing my dialect, my culture, and places familiar to me in the pages of a book. It speaks to my literary soul to see my dialect on the pages of a book (I actually would have liked to see even more). I wish Mather had transferred the dialect into the character's thoughts as well. Some of the stories - like Princess - reminded me of ones my aunties have told me about their youth or - like Mango Summer - reminded me of the Marco Archer case. Mather captures Bahamians in The Bahamas and those who immigrate to Canada in a way that makes them come to life. The everyday challenges of life were captured perfectly well. These stories are will stick with you.