Official Review: Rich White Americans by Virginia Dale

[Kibet Hillary]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Rich White Americans" by Virginia Dale.]

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2 out of 4 stars

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Inny has always felt like an outsider in her own home. Her father, Mr. Craig Johnson, has distanced himself emotionally from his family and finds considerable comfort in books and papers. To a great extent, his younger daughter is his favorite girl, not Inny. Her mother, Iris Johnson, only wants her daughter to get married, but Inny wants to complete her studies at the University of California, Berkeley, and graduate. Many things happen during the holiday leading to her final year at the university. They had just migrated to Montecito, and life there felt different. Alcoholism is rampant, and there are many broken homes. She narrowly escapes being raped by Andronicus. She meets Jim, a charming person, only to break up with him later after she discovered he was a petty thief.

Several trials were to come her way, but this time Inny had someone she could trust. One who stood with her through thick and thin. How much would they pay emotionally and physically to be together? Would this love be worth the formidable resistance they would encounter? You will have to purchase a copy of Rich White Americans by Virginia Dale to know more. The book is only 224 pages long and consists of twenty chapters.

Inny’s story admirably describes the plight of those who dare to challenge societal norms or find themselves at the crossroads when cultural belief systems are shifting. The wide-ranging implications of this rare show of heroic bravery and ‘rebellion’, according to the obstinate opposers, are hefty. However, Inny personifies the greatest tragedy is not experiencing change simply because one refused to risk.

I am always excited to read books with characters who deliberately and relentlessly challenge the status quo. This book was more enthralling as the leading characters were fighting against retrogressive and unfounded belief systems like racial prejudice, domestic abuse, and other vices such as rape. Not all the battles were won, but the war was won ultimately. It realistically outlined how victory at times comes after a series of ups and downs, losses and wins, and determination even when the odds are stacked against one. Vicissitude seemingly remains the only constant on the path to triumph, and this was conspicuously clear. This is what I liked most about the book.

Regrettably, I disliked some qualities as well. There were very many repetitions in the book, for instance, that Albert Curtis was the first African-American professor of English at UC Berkeley. Another thing was the tendency of some events to be hinted at long before they occurred. This reduced the thrill one experiences on reading something completely unexpected. What is more, some of them never occurred and thus leaving some loose ends. The editing was poorly done as well. There were several misspellings of characters' names and other minor grammatical errors. For these reasons, I rate the book 2 out of 4 stars. Another round of editing will guarantee a higher score. The book is suitable for all ardent fans of other fiction books. I do not recommend it to children as it contains obscenities and undetailed sex scenes.

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Rich White Americans
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[Harty Muli]

I like that the book handles problems afflicting the current society such as rape and racism. Thanks for the interesting review.

[Raluca_Mihaila]

The book looks like an interesting read, but I hope the author will improve the editing issues. Great review!

[Justine Ocsebio]

This book explores a lot of pertinent issues in our society. It’s too bad the editing was poorly done, though. I enjoyed reading your review.

[Nqobile Mashinini Tshabalala]

I hope Inny got to pursue her dreams and lived the life she deserves. Thanks for the review!