Review of Kalayla

MeganDJ · Post by **MeganDJ** » 04 Jul 2021, 13:44

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

4 out of 4 stars

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Are kindred souls destined to meet? Does fate bring them together for a reason? This was one of my many thoughts while reading Kalayla by Jeannie Nicholas.

We are given three perspectives during this read: Maureen, Lena and Kalayla’s. Lena is a widow to an egocentric and narcissistic businessman, who did whatever he wanted, when he wanted, with little regard to anyone’s feelings or opinions. This caused Lena to withdraw for most of her married life and her husband manipulated her into a more passive role with regards to raising her sons. Throughout the novel, Lena is confronted with events that force her to reflect on her decisions and the consequences thereof, which were often sparked from the encounters she had with Kalayla.

Kalayla is a spunky, smart-mouthed young girl who recently lost her father. During her darkest moments, her mother, Maureen, was unable to take care of herself, let alone her daughter, so Kalayla learned from a very young age how to take care of herself. After dealing with the aftermath of his passing, Maureen decided to move to a smaller apartment in Boston so that they could start their lives anew. Maureen had to work double shifts so that she could afford the rent, which left Kalayla a lot of time on her hands to get up to no good.

Lena, who happened to be their neighbour, was worried for the girl and her mother, as she could see how they were both struggling, mentally and physically, with the burden they now had to bear. Seeing herself in both Kalayla and Maureen, she vowed to herself that she would help them both in whatever way she could.

Each one of these three protagonists is unique, all with wildly different personalities that oddly complement one another. They are all beautifully human, each having persevered through countless hardships that have shaped them into who they are today. The author has done a brilliant job with the natural evolution and progression of her characters, giving an organic flow to the tale.

Several themes are interwoven throughout this novel, with racism and discrimination taking centre stage in many of the events that unfold. Without giving too much away with regards to the plot, the story shows how deep-seated and unwavering these thoughts can be in many families and how it even has the potential to break families apart. The author does a splendid job in bringing these very real experiences to life, giving us a glimpse into the psyche and rationale of both sides of the situation. With that being said, there was nothing notable that I disliked about this book, and I happily award it 4 out of 4 stars.

In the entire novel, I only picked up on two errors, which did not warrant a reduction in rating. I wish I could give this book a higher rating, as the characters and personalities alone could have been worthy of 4 stars. I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a delicately woven tale jam-packed with charismatic characters and socially charged themes and events.

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Kalayla
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