It’s been very snowy and blustery recently, but the sun is out now and everything looks like a winter wonderland, which I don’t mind at all (but not everyone is in agreement with me, I’m sure!). I read an interesting book last week and finished a fabulous audiobook as well.
I read a recommendation that came up in an “If you like…” list for One of Our Kind by Nicola Yoon, which I didn’t just like, I loved! Brit Bennett’s The Vanishing Half centres around twin girls, Desiree and Stella Vignes, and follows their lives from childhood to adulthood and motherhood, and the very different paths they follow. Growing up in the deep south in the 1950s in the not-quite-small-town of Mallard, a place settled by their great-great-great grandfather, who wanted to found an all-black community which strove to produce lighter- and lighter-skinned residents. These twins were so light-skinned they could pass for white, and when, at 16, they escaped the dead-end town and moved to New Orleans, that’s exactly what one of them does. The other marries a man whose skin was as dark as possible. They’ve taken different paths, led separate lives, lost touch and refused to reconnect, but somehow their lives intersect once again and readers follow their journey to possible reconciliation. This was a good book, a page-turner that explores the question of what it means to be black. Is it more than just a matter of skin colour? And if so, what else? With multiple narrators and storylines that are interwoven, this novel is sure to make you think even as you turn page after page until the final satisfying paragraph. I really enjoyed this book that I would never have read if not for that (library? Indigo? Google?) list of recommendations.
And I finished listening to the very long but very good The Women by Kristin Hannah. This novel centres around the experiences of women, in particular Frankie McGrath, and her family before, during and after the Vietnam war. I really don’t want to give anything away, and most people know about this book, as it’s ranked as the #1 most requested book by public libraries for 2024, so I’ll say no more except that it was amazing. I loved the characters, the writing, the fast-paced yet thought-provoking storyline… it was a hit for me from beginning to end, and, if you haven’t read it, I would highly recommend reading or listening to this brilliant book.
That’s all for today. Stay warm and keep reading!
Bye for now... Julie
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