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Bezig met laden... Memphis : a novel (editie 2022)door Tara M. Stringfellow
Informatie over het werkMemphis door Tara M. Stringfellow
Bezig met laden...
Meld je aan bij LibraryThing om erachter te komen of je dit boek goed zult vinden. Op dit moment geen Discussie gesprekken over dit boek. Memphis is a family saga focusing on the women in the North family, spanning generations and time periods. From matriarch Hazel to daughters Miriam and August and granddaughters Joan and Mya, the story is one of family, strength, and love. Fans of historical fiction will find much to enjoy in this book, as it spans from the 1930s to the early 2000s. Its best moments focus on interactions between family members; the dynamics of the family are complicated, as they are with any other family, and Stringfellow really does a good job of showing that. The only issue I had with the book was the fact that it felt a little too polished. The plot, while not exactly predictable, did not deliver any surprises; most ends are tied up neatly in a bow, which simply doesn't happen in real life. Some of the characterizations of Joan felt especially over-the-top, most notably with her artistic talents. Ultimately, the story is tight in a way that feels like a let-down - I would have liked to see what earlier drafts might have looked like, as this published version feels like it has been gone through by an editor very heavily to the detriment of the story. Overall, this is a read I would recommend to fans of family sagas and historical fiction. It shows the real lives of Black women in the South in a way that neither glosses over nor holds back, and while the women endure much hardship, they are still able to find hope. Memphis follows three generations of Black women over the course of seventy years, weaving together the alternating chapter narratives of Hazel, her daughters Miriam and August, and Miriam’s daughter Joan. We follow the North women through their personal struggles during milestone events including WWII, the Civil Rights movement, and 9/11. Memphis is beautifully written; exploring the strength and triumph of family over heartbreak, trauma, and grief. The storytelling and atmosphere is exceptional, I was highly invested in the lives of these women, and I cannot wait to see what Tara M. Stringfellow delivers to readers next! geen besprekingen | voeg een bespreking toe
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"In the summer of 1995, ten-year-old Joan, her mother, and her younger sister flee her father's violence to the only place they have left: her mother's ancestral home in Memphis. Half a century ago, Joan's grandfather built this majestic house for her grandmother--only to be lynched, days after becoming the first Black detective in Memphis, by his all-white police squad. This wasn't the first time violence altered the course of Joan's family's trajectory, and given who lives inside this house now, she knows it won't be the last. When her aunt opens the door, Joan sees the cousin who once brutally assaulted her. Over the next few years, she is determined not just to survive, but to find something to dream for. Longing to become an artist, she pours her rage and grief into sketching portraits of the women in her life--including old Miss Dawn from down the street, who seems to know something about curses"-- Geen bibliotheekbeschrijvingen gevonden. |
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Google Books — Bezig met laden... GenresDewey Decimale Classificatie (DDC)813.6Literature English (North America) American fiction 21st CenturyLC-classificatieWaarderingGemiddelde:
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I appreciated that the story was from the point of view of the women. Clearly, the men were all terrible. I got the message. I don’t take personal offense. But was it a good read? I suppose it’s okay for a beach read but I have limited time. For the dozen or so books I have time to read every year, I’d prefer them to be a lot more enjoyable than this. I often find myself telling friends about recent books I've enjoyed. Not this one. It has not sprung to mind since reading it and I hope to forget it completely as quickly as possible. (That's partly why I write reviews - so if I'm ever asked about it, I'll know what I've disliked and forgotten.)
There were some things going on that I didn’t even understand such as the prison scene? Too hard to believe Joan’s sister could say anything that would force her to visit Derek in prison. And why the secrecy? Not tell the mothers? I don’t even believe Joan would even tell her sister about her rape in the first place - at least, not after keeping it secret for so long.
No idea how this book got such good ratings. I’ve read far better multigenerational family saga stories such as The Island of Sea Women, Roots, or any Michener book like Alaska, Hawaii, and so on. Amusingly, I see that Memphis got 4.15 stars on Goodreads, the exact same rating as War and Peace. I don’t buy the author is another Tolstoy. ( )