Review by ecor -- Kalayla by Jeannie Nicholas

ecor · Post by **ecor** » 02 Mar 2021, 08:01

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

4 out of 4 stars

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An old woman, a young girl, a mother; they have one thing in common; they all have family problems as we do, and this is a story of how they will handle those problems. Lena is a seventy-two-year-old woman, who wears nothing but black and lives in an apartment owned by them on the 4th floor. She does not do her laundry at home and is eager to carry her groceries. She’s having a hard time, but why is she doing this? Kalayla is an eleven-year-old girl who loves spending her time at Clean Duds, the laundry shop near their apartment. She is not your typical girl; she wants to make sense of her time, and she sees normal activities as absurd. Maureen is Kalayla’s mother. Maureen is aiming to be an artist, but cannot pursue it anymore since Kalayla’s father died. She works between two jobs to support Kalayla and herself, but she does not have time to spend with her daughter. She’s also anxious about keeping a secret from Kalayla. What will happen if the truth comes out? Will it be beneficial to get involved in your neighbor’s issues? Find out what happens in Kalayla and I’m sure you won’t regret it.

The novel Kalayla is about three people with different issues involving their families. If you are looking for a moving story about regret, love, and finding hope despite it all, this is the book for you. We will witness what magic love can do for anyone. The story involves serious problems, but I did not find myself burdened by each character’s emotional baggage. It was an emotional ride and I don’t regret following their story. The author wrote a beautiful novel and told it in a light-hearted way. She let us into the adventure of the three major characters; the adventure called life. It shocked me the story is funny, especially the inner dialogue of a character. I love it is funny but still maintains its serious tone. You won’t take their struggles for granted. I love the author wrote the different points of view of the characters. I appreciate Lena’s character here. She shows positivity, resilience and also gives brilliant advice. I love how she handled things, and I also appreciate her very kind heart that can love.

I don’t like the book has to end. The story was amazing; I could go on reading forever. I also don’t like how Maureen’s parents and friends treated her and her husband, Jamal. They could have been more understanding.

I give Kalayla by Jeannie Nicholas 4 out of 4 stars. The story was amazing and heartwarming. I’m glad I read this book. This book will stay in my heart and memory for a long time. The novel was well-written; I did not see any error.

Kalayla is a novel about family, and many can relate to this. It touches a bit on race issues, sexuality, and abuse so I will recommend this to adults and mature teens.

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Kalayla
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