Talk Wordy To Me discussion

So for September we read Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi.
What did you rate this book?
Did you read any other books from the Women's Prize for fiction shortlist? If so which was your favourite?

This is my review from last month of Transcendent Kingdom,. I rated it a 4. It is not quite an overwhelming book that would get a 5 but is well worth reading to learn about immigrants, fatherless strong girls, taking care of a parent when no one else will/can do it. Girls getting educated. Lots of good stuff.
This book reminded me of myself. I was born in Alabama on the other side of the mountain where Giffy's immigrant family moved. I know the poverty, the racism, etc. Yet, she persists and will graduate with a Ph.D. and get a good job.

This is a beautiful book and I will read it again some day. A smart young woman, Ph.D. candidate at Stanford Med School, takes in her mother who, for the second time, seems to be having a complete mental breakdown. She will not get out of bed. Giffy does not have funds to pay for someone to care for her mother, her brother is dead from an overdose of heroin, and her father abandoned them years ago, went back to Ghana and remarried. Giffy is the only one left. Her mother comes to Giffy's and is almost comatose, just stays in bed, will not get up, will not eat much -- meanwhile Giffy must run back and forth to her lab to care for her mice and perform certain tests at exact times to produce valid research data. At the beginning, Giffy is struggling, not getting enough sleep, sleeping on the couch or in the lab and trying to get her mother to eat. Others try to interact with Giffy but she is not very aware of them. Giffy's family emigrated to Huntsville, Alabama and she has experienced racism, drug abuse in her family, abandonment, her mother's mental illness all of her life. This is her chance - finish the doctorate and gain status in the world (and maybe money to live on). The last half of the book is Giffy remembering her childhood church experiences. Not just the simplistic Southern protestant religion, but deeper meanings and values that she did not understand as a child. The writing is beautiful. I did not enjoy the earlier part but I loved that Giffy was able to become a philosophical young woman and begin to understand the meaning of life for herself. Should be read and discussed by every book club. A beautiful book.

peace, janz

I have read several other books on the Women's Prize for Fiction list. I think The Vanishing Half is one of the best books I have ever read. It is important to read it to better understand racism in the US.
I Thought Piranisi was too weird - could get the point but a reviewer pointed out that it was fantasy. And I never understood fantasy until it was explained to me. Many liked Luster but I disliked it. It portrayed the female as silly,dumb, being taken advantage of, etc. The last half tries to redeem the earlier part but did not in my mind. She is the type of girl we do not want our daughters to be. Weak, infatuated, can not get over her romantic notions of "love." I rated Vanishing Half as a 5 where Trans Kingdom got a 4. Otherwise a 1 or 2.

I am new to this list. If this is not what you want me to answer - please tell me. I do not want to offend and I have strong opinions. If you want me to shut up, just tell me. peace, janz