Only Twice I've Wished for Heaven

This is a tough read because of the situations and subjects it covers (check content warnings if you're one to do so), but it's also such a beautiful work that I'm thankful to have stumbled on it. Something like a mix of Gloria Naylor, James Baldwin, and Alice Walker, the story revolves around a chance friendship between an older woman and a young girl. We learn of one's past while seeing the other's heartbreaking present unfold, and there are moments when, despite the uselessness, a reader can't help but be tempted to shout 'It's not fair' in the way of a child. And yet, there is so much joy and wonder, and so many beautifully drawn characters, and so much humor and gorgeous writing alongside the heartbreak and trauma detailed in this show more book. And there's hope, which makes it all the more powerful.

I'm not sure how this book ended up on my shelf, but I'm glad it did, and I'd absolutely recommend it to anyone interested. (But do check content warnings, particularly if certain content centered on/around children bothers you.) show less

2 black girls from either side of fence in NYC 1930's

8.98