Review by Sres0 -- Kalayla by Jeannie Nicholas

[Sres0]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Kalayla" by Jeannie Nicholas.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Kalayla is a touching novel that explores the lives of three different women in Cambridge, MA, through 1999 and 2000. Here, Jeannie Nicholas does a beautiful job of bringing complex characters to life and forcing them to grow and change their ways in an unfair world.

Using different points of view, the book narrates the lives of Kalayla, Maureen, and Lena, three women that found a family while dealing with their issues and leaving the past behind. 11-year-old Kalayla is a black teenage rebel with an attitude, who, having lost her dad, lives with her mom, Maureen. Maureen has Irish heritage and was disowned by her own family for marrying a black man, though that's not what she told her daughter. Finally, 72-year-old Lena, a mourning mother, lost contact with two of her sons and had her other two killed in Vietnam, all the while putting up with traumatic memories of her dead husband.

While surviving, Kalayla finds in Lena someone to talk to, Maureen finds in her someone trustworthy, and Lena finds in them unconditional company. After living through certain stages, the three women grow and confront their pasts, taking a loving approach towards those who wronged them before so that they could eventually move on.

Regarding profanities, you'll notice that Kalayla has its fair share. Here, the use of obscenities (or the lack of them) emphasizes the depth of each individual personality. On the other hand, the sexual content is not outstanding. Thankfully, even though there are instances of sexual harassment, Jeannie doesn't make them very explicit.

While I believe the message behind Kalayla is powerful, make sure that you won't be triggered by content like racism and/or sexual harassment. Other than that, I think everyone can benefit from reading this book. Through it all, the three women find comfort in each other—even if they can't stand themselves sometimes—and they learn that chosen family can be just as strong as a family bound by blood. Further yet, they gave their respective families a second chance either by forgiving them or by deciding to be more present, becoming examples of true courage. So, if you're looking for a deep story that delves into the rawness of human life, you should read Kalayla. If you're not into reading about everyday life issues, maybe this isn't your book.

That said, I believe Jeannie skillfully designed this narrative to explore all these characters and personal stories so that any reader can relate to something or someone. The characters felt so authentic that they almost drove me crazy—Kalayla with her tantrums, Maureen with her insecurity, and Lena with her pity party—but each phase was a fundamental part of the character's arc. I loved that the message is hopeful, and while I know it isn't always the case, it's nice to read it and connect with it. Now, I found a few misplaced or missing commas, but it didn't affect my reading experience in the least. All in all, I give this book 4 out of 4 stars.

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Kalayla
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[John Owen]

It's true this book is all too informative as you've said because I read and reviewed it too. Nice review!

[MsH2k]

I read this book and enjoyed it too. Thank you for your thorough review!

[Mariana Figueira]

Beautiful review, thank you so much. I loved this book too!

[Bradley Shelvie]

I read the book too and it was fantastic. Wonderful job with your review here!