Conchie Fernandez's Blog - Posts Tagged "book-review"
A Review of Brandi Lei Morrison's "A Southern Tale of Forgiveness"
A Southern Tale of Forgiveness
Brandi Lei Morrison's "A Southern Tale of Forgiveness" is one of the most touching, inspiring and elevating novels I've read in a very long time. The author's debut novel opens as a deceivingly simple story of female fraternal twins, Tessandra and Jewels, born to a birracial couple of humble means at the dawn of the last century. The subtle twists of Ms. Morrison's novel begin just there, in the opening pages, as the author describes the birth of the twins. Tessandra emerges from her mother's womb, her skin as dark as her father's, followed by the surprising arrival of her twin, Jewels, who is as fair-skinned as their mother. That Tessandra is the firstborn is indicative of her brave, somewhat brash, confident and ever-loving personality. She's a protagonist I am reluctant to let go of, and will remember for a very long time. In contrast, Ms. Morrison paints Jewels as a frail, vulnerable and light reflection of her twin. These differences are an interesting literary choice, and the delicate issues of race, attitudes, faith, duty and familial bonds will push and pull against the sisters throughout the novel.
"A Southern Tale of Forgiveness" moves elegantly through the turbulent history of race in Louisiana in the mid-1920s, WWII and later through the Civil Rights Movement of the early 1960s. The book strays far from any racial cliche and doesn't paint the characters as victims -in spite of the racial divides of the eras- which would have done a terrible disservice to a plot and character development that are flawlessly executed.
The book moves between a present set in the mid-60s to a series of family tragedies in the late 1920s and '40s. These events both bonded and almost serrated the relationship between the sisters. Jewels' reaction to their shared pain and her heartbreaking decisions clash against Tessandra's unending perseverance, drive and optimism. The book never moves slowly, the story and plot are extremely well paced, and yet I always got the feeling that a soft female voice with a slight Louisiana accent was reading the story to me, from the front porch of Tessandra's carefully tended house or the bedroom that Jewels often hid inside, whether as a child or a grown-up. As a storyteller, Ms. Morrison has a firm, confident, gentle voice and she has created a world where, as it often happens in real life, pain can either help us discover our inner strength and faith...or it can drive us to bitterness and depression. In the end, her characters must make their choices, and as a reader, I was profoundly moved by the choices they made. Congratulations to Ms. Morrison for a superb novel, and I look forward to many more!
Brandi Lei Morrison's "A Southern Tale of Forgiveness" is one of the most touching, inspiring and elevating novels I've read in a very long time. The author's debut novel opens as a deceivingly simple story of female fraternal twins, Tessandra and Jewels, born to a birracial couple of humble means at the dawn of the last century. The subtle twists of Ms. Morrison's novel begin just there, in the opening pages, as the author describes the birth of the twins. Tessandra emerges from her mother's womb, her skin as dark as her father's, followed by the surprising arrival of her twin, Jewels, who is as fair-skinned as their mother. That Tessandra is the firstborn is indicative of her brave, somewhat brash, confident and ever-loving personality. She's a protagonist I am reluctant to let go of, and will remember for a very long time. In contrast, Ms. Morrison paints Jewels as a frail, vulnerable and light reflection of her twin. These differences are an interesting literary choice, and the delicate issues of race, attitudes, faith, duty and familial bonds will push and pull against the sisters throughout the novel.
"A Southern Tale of Forgiveness" moves elegantly through the turbulent history of race in Louisiana in the mid-1920s, WWII and later through the Civil Rights Movement of the early 1960s. The book strays far from any racial cliche and doesn't paint the characters as victims -in spite of the racial divides of the eras- which would have done a terrible disservice to a plot and character development that are flawlessly executed.
The book moves between a present set in the mid-60s to a series of family tragedies in the late 1920s and '40s. These events both bonded and almost serrated the relationship between the sisters. Jewels' reaction to their shared pain and her heartbreaking decisions clash against Tessandra's unending perseverance, drive and optimism. The book never moves slowly, the story and plot are extremely well paced, and yet I always got the feeling that a soft female voice with a slight Louisiana accent was reading the story to me, from the front porch of Tessandra's carefully tended house or the bedroom that Jewels often hid inside, whether as a child or a grown-up. As a storyteller, Ms. Morrison has a firm, confident, gentle voice and she has created a world where, as it often happens in real life, pain can either help us discover our inner strength and faith...or it can drive us to bitterness and depression. In the end, her characters must make their choices, and as a reader, I was profoundly moved by the choices they made. Congratulations to Ms. Morrison for a superb novel, and I look forward to many more!
My Review of "Baptism: 3 Stories" by Jack Urquhart
Jack Urquhart's "Baptism: 3 Stories (So They Say)" is a brilliant trio of short stories narrated by a young boy who watches life unfold around him in the Florida of the mid-1950s. The boy, Rex, is surrounded by some of the quirkiest, most colorful characters I've come across in a very long time. Mr. Urquhart tells their stories (or rather their cussin', bickerin' and other apostrophe-ridden anecdotes) in a language that takes the reader straight into the leafy, humid summers of a not-quite-idyllic past.
In the first story, "Baptism", Rex describes the highly criticized baptism of the somewhat reviled Grandfather Amos, someone not quite fit for any kind of salvation. Mr. Urquhart uses hilarious and vibrant language to pull readers into a religious ceremony that is more reminiscent of a sacrifice than a last attempt to save a cantankerous sinner.
The second story, "A Heavy Loss", opens with a phrase that addresses more than one character's conundrum: "What if you was attracted to somebody you shouldn't be attracted to?" Maybe it's about Rex's vivacious Aunt Maggie, undeniable love of his life, and maybe it's the dawning of something Rex is still too young - or verbally inexperienced - to understand or express about himself.
In the collection's third story, "How I Come to Know", Rex innocently tells his family about something he saw which he didn't quite understand - and confuses with grownups wrestling. Mr. Urquhart is incredibly skilled at placing his main character in difficult situations well beyond his 9-year-old mind's comprehension, conveying his understanding of the circumstances and countering them with the logic, impatience and intolerance that adults often direct at inquisitive children. It's very refreshing that Mr. Urquhart doesn't write with tongue-in-cheek condescension toward Rex's cluelessness as he makes his way around an adult world.
Rex seems to be on the verge of understanding the nuances of his family: his very pregnant mother's mood swings, her general and constant criticism of Maggie, his father's obvious wariness of the primarily female family dynamics. And everything told from the very unique, undeniably pure voice of a child untouched by the excessive information that makes so many of today's children obnoxiously precocious.
Mr. Urquhart has written a series of striking stories in a colorful, sonorous language seldom found in today's narrative. Kudos to the author for an amazing trio of stories that are a pleasure to read.
Jack UrquhartBaptism 3 Stories
In the first story, "Baptism", Rex describes the highly criticized baptism of the somewhat reviled Grandfather Amos, someone not quite fit for any kind of salvation. Mr. Urquhart uses hilarious and vibrant language to pull readers into a religious ceremony that is more reminiscent of a sacrifice than a last attempt to save a cantankerous sinner.
The second story, "A Heavy Loss", opens with a phrase that addresses more than one character's conundrum: "What if you was attracted to somebody you shouldn't be attracted to?" Maybe it's about Rex's vivacious Aunt Maggie, undeniable love of his life, and maybe it's the dawning of something Rex is still too young - or verbally inexperienced - to understand or express about himself.
In the collection's third story, "How I Come to Know", Rex innocently tells his family about something he saw which he didn't quite understand - and confuses with grownups wrestling. Mr. Urquhart is incredibly skilled at placing his main character in difficult situations well beyond his 9-year-old mind's comprehension, conveying his understanding of the circumstances and countering them with the logic, impatience and intolerance that adults often direct at inquisitive children. It's very refreshing that Mr. Urquhart doesn't write with tongue-in-cheek condescension toward Rex's cluelessness as he makes his way around an adult world.
Rex seems to be on the verge of understanding the nuances of his family: his very pregnant mother's mood swings, her general and constant criticism of Maggie, his father's obvious wariness of the primarily female family dynamics. And everything told from the very unique, undeniably pure voice of a child untouched by the excessive information that makes so many of today's children obnoxiously precocious.
Mr. Urquhart has written a series of striking stories in a colorful, sonorous language seldom found in today's narrative. Kudos to the author for an amazing trio of stories that are a pleasure to read.
Jack UrquhartBaptism 3 Stories
