Jennifer Morales

This book is beautifully written, truthful and incisive and sharply observed, and there's a little dose of hopefulness to round it out. It's really very good, and so I don't mean it as an insult when I say I found it very hard to read. This is my city on paper, everything I see and try to deal with every day. I would read a page or two and find myself cringing so much that my face hurt, and I'd put the book down and try to untense. But I continued on to the next two pages, and that's out of appreciation for the author's work and for the stories of this city.… (meer)

From the book jacket: An urban neighborhood must find ways to bridge divisions between black and white, gay and straight, old and young. … In nine stories Morales captures a Rust Belt city’s struggle to establish a common ground and a collective vision of the future.

My reactions:
I love short stories and was expecting that format. But this is really a novel told from nine different viewpoints. It begins when a black teenager, Johnquell, goes to help the elderly Polish widow who lives next door move a bookcase. He is a high school senior facing a bright future, having gotten into a good university. But a tragic accident ends that dream. The subsequent stories reveal more about Johnqell, his family and friends, as well as about Mrs Czernicki and her friends and relations.

It’s an engaging and interesting look at an urban struggle that is all too familiar. Morales explores how one’s opinions might be changed (or at least softened) by more contact, by listening and being open to other people’s stories and viewpoints. She also shows how difficult it is to move from that entrenched position, and how rewarding it is to “meet in the middle.”

This was to have been my F2F book club’s April selection, but that’s been put off to October now. The author is going to join us and I’m very much looking forward to that discussion.… (meer)

An intriguing look at the interconnectedness of people, this book winds together stories about individuals who are all affected in some way by one boy's tragic fate. It explores the multifaceted issues that make us human and the ways that we relate to those around us. Issues of race, age, and sexual identity are all explored in this brief collection. The stories are beautifully and respectfully told to give us a glimpse into the life and views of individuals in all different walks of life. The best way to gain perspective is to look at the world from a different angle, and this book does that beautifully. The community must shift their focus, put their differences aside, and find a way to help each other heal from this tragedy and move forward to a brighter future. When we care enough to reach out to those around us, beautiful things happen.

Bettina P. / Marathon County Public Library
Find this book in our library catalog.

… (meer)