My Book Reviews

REVIEW: The first thing that caught my attention about this book was when it was published- 2009. The story itself starts around 1928 and the pacing, dialect and prose makes you think you’re reading a book that was actually written back then. The nuances of life for black people during that time appear accurately detailed.

The story has a couple of themes: the main theme is how life carries on after our death and all we leave behind. I found myself thinking of my mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and great, great-grandmother as I read this book.

The other theme that runs throughout the book is that your are never too old to find love. Love, family and belonging is something that all the characters struggled to find during their lives.

The story takes place in the small rural town of Wideland and starts with the story and marriage of Irene and Val. Then moves to the stories of their daughters Tante and Rose after their deaths. But it focuses mostly on Rose’s life and missteps (her story had the most tragic end that pissed me off!😡) with her no good husband Leroy. After Rose and Leroy die the story focuses on Myine (Rose and Leroy’s daughter), who finally gets a happy ending at the age of 62.

​The entire story is also set on the land and house that Val bought for Irene when they first married in 1928 and it goes through to the year 2000. One consistent thing also throughout was how BLACK WOMEN persevered, rescued, educated and nurtured every damn body. I wonder if that was even conscious writing on Cooper’s part.

The book was a very quick read as the author doesn’t provide a lot of superfluous detail. She just lets the omniscient narrator tell us what she wants us to know. 

Very good book! I feel even though it was fiction a key lesson that could be learned: although your environment can dictate your circumstances.....you can make the decision to change those circumstances but many of us don’t because we’re afraid so we stay in situations way longer than we should and one day you look up and you’re at the end of your life. But as long as you have breath in your body....it’s never too late.