Fiction Book Review: Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson
By Chelsea Rodriguez | Springville Road Regional Branch Library
Jacqueline Woodson's novel Red at the Bone felt like stepping into a vast ocean and losing yourself completely. What can I say to make you want to read this book? Whatever I say will be left wanting, but suffice it to say that this book is lyrical and lovely.
Red at the Bone tells the story of a Black family and the trauma that echoes throughout their lives. Reading this book is a truly immersive experience. My eyes blurred, and I forgot everything outside of this story.
This book opens in 2001, on the evening of 16-year-old Melody's coming-of-age ceremony in her grandparents' Brooklyn brownstone. She makes her entrance to Prince's music, wearing a unique custom-made dress that was fitted sixteen years earlier with her mother's ceremony in mind.
From there, the book weaves a history of Melody's parents and grandparents to show how they all arrived at this moment. This story is told from multiple perspectives. Woodson considers every member of this family in all of their complexities. We get the opportunity to meditate on the weight of family sacrifice in this intergenerational drama about race, class, and parenthood. This book does a tremendous amount of work for being just over 200 pages.
This is a highly immersive, graceful, and mature read. I highly recommend it!
From there, the book weaves a history of Melody's parents and grandparents to show how they all arrived at this moment. This story is told from multiple perspectives. Woodson considers every member of this family in all of their complexities. We get the opportunity to meditate on the weight of family sacrifice in this intergenerational drama about race, class, and parenthood. This book does a tremendous amount of work for being just over 200 pages.
This is a highly immersive, graceful, and mature read. I highly recommend it!
Please take a look at our online collection using Hoopla and Libby apps. Also, no-contact Curbside Service is now available at BPL's Avondale, Five Points West, North Birmingham, and Springville Road Library locations. Place holds on the items you want to check out.
Holds may be placed by going online, using BPL's mobile app, or by calling us. All library materials must be returned in the book drops. For the safety of everyone involved, returned materials will be quarantined for a minimum of 72 hours, and will take several days to be cleared from your account. No late fees will be charged.
Holds may be placed by going online, using BPL's mobile app, or by calling us. All library materials must be returned in the book drops. For the safety of everyone involved, returned materials will be quarantined for a minimum of 72 hours, and will take several days to be cleared from your account. No late fees will be charged.
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