The Vanishing Half by Britt Bennett is a multigenerational story of a black family. Desiree and Stella are identical twin girls born in the 1950s in Mallard, a small town in Louisiana. All the people in Mallard are black but light skinned. They are distrustful of dark skinned people, considering themselves better because of the … Continue reading The Ending of The Vanishing Half
Category: books
The Ending of Mexican Gothic
Mexican Gothic is a novel by Silvia Moreno-Garcia that tells a story of the twisted search for immortality. If you are looking for a review rather than a recap, you can find mine here. Neomà is a young socialite in Mexico City. She is summoned home one evening by her father who wants her to … Continue reading The Ending of Mexican Gothic
The Ending of Catherine House
This book is full of spoilers. If you are looking for a review instead, you can find one at my other blog dpresident.net. Catherine House is a book by Elisabeth Thomas. It tells the story of a private college of the same name. The college that has been surrounded by controversy due to some of … Continue reading The Ending of Catherine House
The Ending of The Shadow King
The Shadow King is a novel by Maaza Mengiste. When I describe it to friends, I say that the beautiful writing sits in stark contrast to the atrocities in the story. I don't generally read books for the writing, but it was the writing as well as the story that captivated me in this case. … Continue reading The Ending of The Shadow King
The Ending of Girls Burn Brighter
Girls Burn Brighter is the debut novel of Shobha Rao. It is the story of Savitha and Poornima, who we first meet in a small village in India. Poornima's family was poor. They had enough to afford basic food, but not to pay for treatment when her mother got cancer. Poornima worked at spooling thread … Continue reading The Ending of Girls Burn Brighter
The Ending of Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds
Long Way Down is a young adult book by Jason Reynolds. It is the story of Will, a 15-year old who lives with his mother. His older brother Shawn has just been shot and while his mother is wailing, he is not; he is following the rules passed down from father to son, son to … Continue reading The Ending of Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds
The Ending of The Namesake
The Namesake is a book by Jhumpa Lahiri. It is a multigenerational story of immigration, family, culture, identity. Marriage and Family Ashoke and Ashima get married in Calcutta. It is an arranged marriage and soon afterwards, Ashima finds herself in America with her new husband. They live in an apartment near his work for several … Continue reading The Ending of The Namesake
The Ending of The Vine of Desire
The Vine of Desire is a sequel to Sister of My Heart by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni. In this book, we find out what happens after Sudha comes to America. Anju and Sunil Anju and Sunil's relationship has not healed after their baby was stillborn. Anju can't stand for Sunil to touch her and they fight … Continue reading The Ending of The Vine of Desire
The Ending of Go, Went, Gone
Richard recently retired as a profession in the department of philosophy at Humboldt University. His wife, Christel, passed away 5 years ago and although he had a mistress while his wife was alive, he is alone now. At the beginning of Go, Went, Gone, he walks on Alexanderplatz but doesn't notice the protest of men … Continue reading The Ending of Go, Went, Gone
The Ending of Sister of My Heart
Sister of My Heart is a novel by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni. It tells a multigenerational story set in San Francisco, Calcutta and elsewhere in India. Anju and Sudha were born within hours of each other. Sudha was born first and was placed on the stomach of Gouri, who had been in labor for hours. The … Continue reading The Ending of Sister of My Heart