NA ( )

amazing ( )

Wonderful book. Jesmyn Ward's writing stops being writing and becomes the voice in your head, even if you have nothing in common with the narrator. Her descriptions are lush and vibrant but not intrusive. I've put down too many books whose descriptions were so flowery they took me out of the story. Not so with this book. The Pit, their house, the woods and fields, even the truck and chicken coop were vivid, grounding me in the story the same way Esch is rooted to Bois Sauvage and her family. I especially loved the relationships Ward created: between Skeetah and China, which showed how strong a bond between animal and man can be, tempered and strengthened by circumstance; Big Henry's quiet relationship with the group and tenderness toward Esch; Randall and Junior; and Esch and Skeetah.

Place and nature are the driving forces of the novel, evident in the gathering storm's parallel to Esch's life. I really was blown away by the skill and ease of Ward's writing. I don't think I've read anything so flawless in a long time. ( )

This title got better and better as the story went on. I found it a bit hard to get into at first but then couldn't put it down. Since this book was on my list to be read when I went to the LA Times Festival of Books in April, I made sure to attend the panel Ward was on. I enjoyed listening to her speak and was struck by a criticism she received of the characters. Apparently some people didn't believe a poor family could include of smart, creative people. I was flabbergasted but then when I described the book to a friend he commented that the first person perspective would probably be limited in the type of character portrayed. I responded with, "She's poor not dumb." So, so, so... is there an assumption that poor people are dumb? How have I missed this? Anyway, I had a great time occupying the mind of the main character and I loved how she connected with her summer reading assignment (it was about greek mythology) and she would think about it as she went about her random summer activities. This is also a fascinating look at how a rural community was affected by Katrina. ( )

LT member, DetailMuse said it best, "reading her is as visual as watching a film." ( )