There is a review of this book in today's New York Times and it reminded me that I read it a couple of months ago, an Advance Reader's Copy, uncorrected proof. The review in the Times is accurate, although it is, once again, a debut novel. I have read so many debut novels this year (and last) partly because of access to the advance copies and partly because I read so much. Most of the time I find the debut novels to be good, sometimes even very good, but almost always in need of editing and tightening.
But hey, who am I to say? Not a paid critic, I am just a regular reader with large opinions.
The above book is a good read, it takes place just after Hurricane Katrina. The waters have mostly receded, homes are still full of mold, decay, sometimes dead bodies. People are displaced, not just out of their homes but out of New Orleans as well. The characters are, in turns, angry, depressed, untethered and caring. They are well-drawn and sometimes aggravating and then, on the next page, sympathetic.
The NYT review also mentions "Salvage the Bones" by Jesmyn Ward. If you have not read this novel about Katrina, I seriously suggest you do so. It is worth finding a used copy and buying it. I read it 2012 and it remains one of the best books I've read in the past five years. Yes, reading about Katrina is not always pleasant but neither is life. This book is powerful and the parallels between what happened in that hurricane and what is still happening between rich, poor, black, white are not to be discounted.
Enjoy your Sunday. It's a nice, gray, dreary day out there, perfect for curling up with a cup of something hot and reading the afternoon away.
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