Salvage the Bones
This is so well written that I even got through most of the dog fight. Narrated by a young girl, Esch, who describes her daily life in a swamp in Louisiana as Katrina comes closer and finally bears down on the poorest of the poor, it is a heartbreaking story but one that also shows the inner strength of our forgotten neighbors. Comparing herself to Medea in the way her own life unfolds, Esch lives out the treachery of living in poverty and the choices that are made. Metaphor, simile, and the gloriously descriptive use of language lead me to believe Jesmyn Ward will be telling stories for a long time.
Rated of 5
by Mary Lou F. (Naples, FL)
Getting Along
Jesmyn Ward has a wonderful way of using words to describe situations. You can feel the action of the dog fights and, again, during the scary moments of Hurricane Katrina. This book shows that when the chips are down, a dysfunctional family comes together to help each other during a horrific storm -- Hurricane Katrina.
Rated of 5
by Pamela B. (Monona, WI, WI)
Salvage the Bones
Salvage the Bones is not a happy tale. The story centers around a poor family in rural Mississippi, struggling after the death of the matriarch leaves them without direction. The siblings seem to live separate lives, but come together when needed. When life goes from bad to worse, the best comes out.
Rated of 5
by Kathy G. (Alamo, CA)
Savage the Bones
On one hand it is was hard to read about a poor Mississippi family, and on the other hand, the story turned out to be a moving portrayal of survival. It was often hard to read due to the hard edges of very difficult realities as seen through the eyes of children. I would recommend this book with reservation.
Rated of 5
by Beth M. (Scarsdale, NY)
Far from perfect
Set in Bois Sauvage, Mississippi in the days before Hurricane Katrina hit, it's a portrait of a poor rural family trying to survive in the best ways they can. The writing is poetic and the brutal realities are conveyed with a beautiful, raw power. The story is told in the voice of Esch, a fourteen year old girl who's desperate for love and kindness in a life filled with emptiness. Her brother Skeetah satisfies his needs for a loving connection with his violent pitbull who kills the puppies he births. Overall, the book didn't work for me. The story was often confusing to follow and there was little chance for redemption or a glimmer of light. After 260 pages, I hoped there would be some change or an expanded vision. This is not a book I would recommend.
Rated of 5
by Donna W. (Wauwatosa, WI)
Salvage the Bones
Jesmyn Ward uses extensive detail in the writing of her book, and this leaves the reader with a good feeling for the poorness of the people, the texture of the area around Bois Sauvage, Mississippi, and the pain inherent in some personal relationships. However, this extensive detail also interfered with the story for me. I felt the writing was at times disjointed, and I had a hard time getting into the book, and a hard time forming an attachment with the characters.
Also, the grittiness of some of the interactions, and the grimness of some of the scenes involving the dogs bothered me.
Rated of 5
by Darra W. (Walnut Creek, CA)
Category 5 storm; category 3 reaction
On one hand, I admired this gritty novel for the voice of its narrator (the pregnant, 14-year-old Eshe), the unusual setting, and the device of the slowly and ominously building plot that so closely mimicked the movement of Katrina in the Gulf. On the other hand, I felt too distanced from the action to say that I LIKED it. The author's shortcoming or mine? Couldn't say. I'm simply disappointed that I couldn't abandon myself more readily to a story with such powerful potential.
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of 5
by Claire M. (New York, NY)
of 5
by Mary Lou F. (Naples, FL)
of 5
by Beth M. (Scarsdale, NY)
