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dian505's review
5.0
Prachtig geschreven boek over ras, kleur, Amerika, liefde en familie. Verplichte kost wat mij betreft.
earthtozoe's review against another edition
3.0
not my vibe no disrespect and i think this would’ve done better w/ like another hundred pages to tie it all together without the abrupt scene switches
juliannareads_'s review against another edition
2.0
I really could not get into this and I didn’t really like it all that much unfortunately...
movietiffany's review against another edition
1.0
I thought this book was going to be good, but I was mistaken. I could never get into it to care what happened to the characters. Very dry and dull.
ursulamonarch's review against another edition
I started reading this book since it was featured on The Bookstore Podcast, but paused when I was not invested in the meandering storyline. The writing was impressive but, after listening to the podcast episode, I was not interested in continuing with the book.
walker's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
tsol's review against another edition
4.0
Really wonderfully constructed story of where people come from and how they try to get where they’re going.
powerfulanne's review against another edition
Brilliant! Would give this a full five stars, but, as others have pointed out, the (very unhappy and moving) ending feels oddly rushed and truncated, given how full and fleshed out the rest of the novel and characterizations are. Will gladly reread this some day.
taylormoore6's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A wedding between Shelby and a white man is to take place in an island town of the Black upper class. Meanwhile each family member is having their own individual reckonings. This book is a rich exploration of class and race. It felt almost like reading Morrison. We got to go deep into each character’s back story and all the while the plot hums along as we reach the final conclusion. Excellently written. I loved this book.
leslie115's review against another edition
4.0
This is my first novel by Dorothy West, and she reminds me of Edith Wharton: in crystal clear prose, West slowly builds the tensions of race and class to an explosive end. As we explore the lives of Shelby's ancestors, it's especially interesting how many of the colored characters hold attitudes of colorism and could pass as white, but refuse to do so.