Another Brooklyn; Jacqueline Woodson
Harper Collins & Blackstone Audio - 2016
August is now a woman in her 30's recalling an earlier time (1973) when she moved with her father and younger brother to Brooklyn from Tennessee, leaving her mother behind for reasons she did not understand at the time. As August and her brother now prepare to bury their father, 20 plus years later we learn what life was like for her and her close friends growing up in a less than ideal part of Brooklyn in the 1970s.
As she reflects back on her past we see how a difficult move was made more tolerable once she makes new friends (Angela, Gigi and Sylvia). Sadly, the girls see and experience things that most parents try shelter their daughters from for as long as possible as they navigate from adolescence to young adulthood.
As the story moves back and forth in time, theres's a dreamlike feel that was hard to shake. The author does a wonderful job capturing both childhood innocence as well as the harsh realities and dangers faced by young girls in this particular part of Brooklyn in the 1970s. For such a short novel (novella) serious issues such as -- race, poverty, addiction and mental illness surface. The audio book was read by Robin Miles who did an excellent job.
4/5 stars
(library audio)
We love those books that you remember for a while, sounds good!
ReplyDeleteYes, memory is a good thing, even the bad memories sometimes.
DeleteI love her books but haven't read her most recent stuff. I should get to them, including this one!
ReplyDeleteThis was a first for me by this author.
DeleteI would be interested in finding out what this is like on audio, because it definitely was dreamlike and poetic.
ReplyDeleteI listened to this in bed several nights in a row, so, it was extra-dreamy for me LOL
DeleteSounds like a good read (or listen). I'll be looking out for this one.
ReplyDeleteIt was good and short as well.
DeleteI enjoyed her last book, so will seek this out. Sounds like another winner!
ReplyDeleteI hadn't read any of her earlier books so I'll have to check them out.
DeleteGlad this was a winner for you Vicki.
ReplyDeleteI read this one recently as well and thought Woodson captured the 1970s so well. I really felt like I could picture August's experiences.
ReplyDeleteI've only read Brown Girl Dreaming (read and listened) and would love to read more by her.
ReplyDelete