Salvage the Bones

"2011 National Book Award Fiction winner. Rough and tumble family survives hurricane Katrina while wielding a turbulent set of circumstances within."

"3.5 stars rounded up for the beautiful writing. There was so much that I loved in this book - Esch’s thoughts and observations, her relationship with her brothers, the slow build up to the hurricane - but I couldn’t connect with Skeetah’s blinding love for his dog and there were so many unanswered questions in the end that I can’t say I loved the book as a whole."

"This book...a feel good family story it is not. It is at times devasting, heartbreaking, and tragic, and yet the story of 15-yr-old Esch and her three brothers, her father and the host of characters surrounding them during the days leading up to Hurricane Katrina, and its aftermath is compelling and keeps you riveted. <br/><br/>These motherless children, the youngest who was a baby when their mother died, each keep her memory alive in unique ways as they tend and fend for themselves with a less than attentive father. Their environment, while to some may seem impoverished or feral, reads as natural because even in their scenes of lack the author does not portray them as cases of charity. She describes their actions in matter-of-fact language. The juxtaposition of Esch's character with the women of Greek mythology she looks to for female guidance as a young woman in a world full of men is brilliance on the author's part. As she struggles with her sexual identity and desire for love, you just want to reach into the novel and hug her and tell her "I got you little sister." There is also the exploration of the relationship between man vs nature as we watch how Esch's father prepares for the oncoming hurricane, and how the family fight for survival when Katrina hits. <br/><br/>I did not know what to expect when I started this book, but I found myself devouring it in a couple of days when I finally buckled down to it. Sing, Unburied, Sing was my first encounter with Ward's writing, this is my second, and will not be my last. She has risen to the top of my list as a favorite."

"This is my favourite Jesmyn Ward novel. There is dog-fighting which is hard to read, and the abject poverty can also feel crushing. Beautifully written."

"Very good, but a gut wrenching read. I lived in Katrina country so this was very close to home in many ways."

"Probably this one and Men We Reaped!"