Review by Cindy_Botha -- Kalayla by Jeannie Nicholas
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Review by Cindy_Botha -- Kalayla by Jeannie Nicholas
[Following is a volunteer review of "Kalayla" by Jeannie Nicholas.]
Jeannie Nicholas wrote Kalayla from the perspective of three women. Kalayla is a young girl. She is stubborn and smart-mouthed, but yet sweet and innocent. She thinks she knows the best, and that she knows everything – she is very wrong. Maureen is in her early 30s. She is scared and hurt, but tries her best to be strong, even if she does not always get it right. Lena is an old woman. She has been through a lot and lives with her regrets. However, she is determined not to make the same mistakes again. Each goes through a series of self-discovering moments and sees events of the past for what they truly were.
What I loved about this book was that it gives you hope. Hope that no matter what mistakes you make, you will still be able to have the opportunity to make it right, no matter how long it takes or what you have to do. This does not mean you will always succeed, but there is the hope that you can at least try. We see an example of this on page 94. The way the characters were developed is phenomenal. You can see the growth in each of them, and recognise parts of yourself in them as well – at least, this was the way it was for me.
“I could not let myself give up on her the way I gave up on my boys. No matter how bad my hand was, I had to stay in the game, even if I kept on losing.”
If I have to pick something about this book that I did not love, it would be that the book’s introduction developed slowly and sometimes confusingly. Although the pace picks up and the confusion clears after the first few chapters, some people might not want to stick with the story for a bit longer to get past this. I, however, would recommend that you do, as this book is incredible.
I praise Jeannie Nicholas’ ability to transport the reader into the mind and emotion of each character, as well as her skill to create something that is equally realistic and imaginative.
I give this book 4 out of 4 stars because the book was extremely powerful. It shows you that nothing is ever exactly what it seems and that you should be open to change and transformation. The storyline was interesting and creative, and the editing was amazing.
If you love books about women experiencing change in their connected lives, or reading books where broken families were healed, you will love this book. If you enjoy books that teach you to look at life with perspective or to get advice from each other, this book is for you.
******
Kalayla
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Jeannie Nicholas wrote Kalayla from the perspective of three women. Kalayla is a young girl. She is stubborn and smart-mouthed, but yet sweet and innocent. She thinks she knows the best, and that she knows everything – she is very wrong. Maureen is in her early 30s. She is scared and hurt, but tries her best to be strong, even if she does not always get it right. Lena is an old woman. She has been through a lot and lives with her regrets. However, she is determined not to make the same mistakes again. Each goes through a series of self-discovering moments and sees events of the past for what they truly were.
What I loved about this book was that it gives you hope. Hope that no matter what mistakes you make, you will still be able to have the opportunity to make it right, no matter how long it takes or what you have to do. This does not mean you will always succeed, but there is the hope that you can at least try. We see an example of this on page 94. The way the characters were developed is phenomenal. You can see the growth in each of them, and recognise parts of yourself in them as well – at least, this was the way it was for me.
“I could not let myself give up on her the way I gave up on my boys. No matter how bad my hand was, I had to stay in the game, even if I kept on losing.”
If I have to pick something about this book that I did not love, it would be that the book’s introduction developed slowly and sometimes confusingly. Although the pace picks up and the confusion clears after the first few chapters, some people might not want to stick with the story for a bit longer to get past this. I, however, would recommend that you do, as this book is incredible.
I praise Jeannie Nicholas’ ability to transport the reader into the mind and emotion of each character, as well as her skill to create something that is equally realistic and imaginative.
I give this book 4 out of 4 stars because the book was extremely powerful. It shows you that nothing is ever exactly what it seems and that you should be open to change and transformation. The storyline was interesting and creative, and the editing was amazing.
If you love books about women experiencing change in their connected lives, or reading books where broken families were healed, you will love this book. If you enjoy books that teach you to look at life with perspective or to get advice from each other, this book is for you.
******
Kalayla
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
