A review by shelf_inspiration
The Removed by Brandon Hobson
3.0
3 Stars
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“We reveal ourselves to those who will look. It has been said we are illusions, nightmares, and dreams, the disturbing and tense apparitions of the mind.” - The Removed.
This book follows the Echota family fifteen years after their son Ray-Ray was killed in a police shooting. Since his death, the mother, Maria, struggles to manage the onset of Alzheimer’s in her husband Ernest. Their adult daughter, Sonja, leads a life of solitude punctuated by spells of dizzying romantic obsession. And their son, Edgar, fled home a long time ago and turned to drugs to mute his feelings. With the annual family bonfire approaching- an occasion marking both the Cherokee National Holiday and Ray-Ray’s death, Maria tries to call the family together from their physical and emotional distances. But as the bonfire nears, each of them feels a strange blurring of the boundary between normal life and the spirit world.
This was a fairly quick read that has tons of Cherokee myths, imagery, and history in it. The myths that were shared in the book were so interesting to me and I felt that they really fit into the story well. However, I definitely missed some of the connections between the imagery, and some of the symbolism did go over my head. The book was written in a poetic way, that really made you think and form these connections on your own. Because I missed some of these, I had a ton of questions at the end of the book. But when reading other reviews, I was able to see some of the connections I missed. So I think with another re-read I will be able to make further connections of my own. Overall, this is a beautiful story with a lot of depth. I would also love to read more books written by Native American authors so if you have any recommendations please let me know.
** January 2021 Book of the Month Pick **
See more on my Bookstagram: Shelf.Inspiration Instagram
“We reveal ourselves to those who will look. It has been said we are illusions, nightmares, and dreams, the disturbing and tense apparitions of the mind.” - The Removed.
This book follows the Echota family fifteen years after their son Ray-Ray was killed in a police shooting. Since his death, the mother, Maria, struggles to manage the onset of Alzheimer’s in her husband Ernest. Their adult daughter, Sonja, leads a life of solitude punctuated by spells of dizzying romantic obsession. And their son, Edgar, fled home a long time ago and turned to drugs to mute his feelings. With the annual family bonfire approaching- an occasion marking both the Cherokee National Holiday and Ray-Ray’s death, Maria tries to call the family together from their physical and emotional distances. But as the bonfire nears, each of them feels a strange blurring of the boundary between normal life and the spirit world.
This was a fairly quick read that has tons of Cherokee myths, imagery, and history in it. The myths that were shared in the book were so interesting to me and I felt that they really fit into the story well. However, I definitely missed some of the connections between the imagery, and some of the symbolism did go over my head. The book was written in a poetic way, that really made you think and form these connections on your own. Because I missed some of these, I had a ton of questions at the end of the book. But when reading other reviews, I was able to see some of the connections I missed. So I think with another re-read I will be able to make further connections of my own. Overall, this is a beautiful story with a lot of depth. I would also love to read more books written by Native American authors so if you have any recommendations please let me know.
** January 2021 Book of the Month Pick **