Review of Kalayla

[BlessingAde]

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

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4 out of 4 stars

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When it comes to sexual and domestic abuse, Kalayla by Jeanie Nicholas is a heartbreaking tale. It has a page count of 335 and is told from the viewpoints of three different people. Kalayla, Maureen, and Lena are the focus of this story.

Lena, is an Italian woman in her seventies, she lost her twins in the Vietnam War, and she also had an abusive husband and a rocky relationship with her first son. Her second son is also nowhere to be found. To raise her daughter, Maureen, an Irish woman who married a black guy and then widowed, took on two jobs. Maureen's eleven-year-old daughter Kalayla is an extremely intelligent and troubled young woman, she does not act like a typical adolescent. She had an odd sense of style when it came to her appearance, and she believes that her maternal family was killed in a gas explosion. Despite the many difficulties they faced, these three women created an unusually close friendship.

The novel was written from the perspective of the three main characters so I was able to identify with and empathize with their emotions. A lot of humour is also sprinkled throughout the book, so it wasn't dull to read. Despite their struggles, the three main characters had bravery and fortitude which was inspiring.

Heartwarming messages are vital for individuals to learn from this book. Victims of racial injustice are also the focus of this book. Maureen was a single mother, so she received a lot of support from her neighbours, which made me realize that it takes a community to raise a child. Charlotta is one of my favourite supporting characters. She was always there for Lena.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in family dramas or learning about how to deal with domestic violence. Readers need to know that this book contains scenes of abuse and profanity that some may find upsetting.

I'm rating this book four out of four stars because there is nothing negative to say about it. I found some punctuation errors, but they didn't affect my reading progress.

Kaylayla is a very enjoyable read. Readers should try not to get sidetracked by the story's many threads and be prepared to take away many valuable lessons from it. The twist at the conclusion of the novel is my favourite part. It was a pleasure to read.

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Kalayla
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