2 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
Miss Mamie’s Girl by Gwynn Braswell
The original Miss Mamie of the story came to America by way of a slave ship. Her daughter and granddaughter are also named Mamie. The daughter breaks the tradition by naming her daughter Jamie. Family heritage and traditions are important to the Mamie’s and passed down to Jamie who is known as Miss Mamie’s Girl. The story begins in 1870 when Miss Mamie and Janie escape to the free state of Virginia to reconcile with Janie’s father who is prospering as a free man. The family continues to do well and establishes a legacy of helping others as well. Eventually the family and those who have come to work and live with them becomes a town known as Jakesville which is named after Janie’s father. The story chronicles Janie’s life starting from the time she and her mother made their treacherous trip to Virginia down through future generations concluding in 1965. There are many challenges just like in everyone’s life but also great rewards for hard work and endurance.
I liked the characters in the book and especially Janie. The story kept my interest as I wished to learn what would happen to “Miss Mamie’s Girl” and her family as the years progressed. She comes across as a strong person who is determined to not only improve her own life but the lives of those around her.
The story is written in the first person but that person changes throughout the years as the story progresses so you have to pay attention to know who is telling the story for the timeframe it is in. I believe it could have been made clearer by organizing the story into chapters and giving them a title that would let you know who was telling the story at that point, rather than just telling you what year it is.
I was sometimes confused, during back and forth dialogue, as to who was speaking to whom especially when more than two persons were in the conversation. At times statements are made referring to a past time but not followed up on and you are left wondering what they were referring to or why an event was mentioned at all. I also felt the story ended rather abruptly with several loose ends.
I give this book 2 out of 4 stars. I believe some of the events that happened in the book would be highly unlikely based on the timeline and the characters involved in the plot. I also found it difficult to read at times based on the information I stated in the previous paragraph. I would have given three stars if the book had better formatting such as well-defined chapters and/or page breaks between the years.
******
Miss Mamie's Girl
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | Hassle-Free Sample
Like ChrisKauf's review? Post a comment saying so!
