Review of Kalayla
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Navitha Ponnappa
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Review of Kalayla
[Following is a volunteer review of "Kalayla" by Jeannie Nicholas.]
The saying, "Blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb" stands true in the book Kalayla by Jeannie Nicholas. Three women with generational, racial, and temperamental differences forge a unique bond and make their own little family based on love and trust. The character development via storytelling by the protagonists themselves gives the reader a personal touch. Jeannie Nicholas paints a realistic picture of joys and sufferings of womanhood-as a girl, wife, mother, and in old age. The novel is a mirror reflecting the true resilience shown by women in their fight against domestic abuse, racism, abandonment, or simply against an act of cruel fate.
The book is named after an 11-year-old, biracial, smart-mouthed, loner girl, Kalayla, who has developed a shrewd sense when it comes to managing school or home life. She lives with her timid, widowed mother- Maureen, who became an outcast for marrying a black man and is still picking up the pieces of her life after the sudden death of her husband. Living across the hall from them, is Lena Barzetti, a 72-year-old widow, who also happens to own the apartment building they live in. Reminiscing about her own children and wanting to help another woman struggling with motherhood, Lena meddles in Kalayla's life in an effort to try and help. It instead becomes a symbiotic relationship when the spunky girl brings back the lost color in Lena's life. Together they teach us how it is never too late for forgiveness and reconciliation, no matter how ruined the relationship is. One only has to take courage and make a conscious effort.
The one shortcoming I felt while reading this, was that the book doesn't address how Kalayla dealt with her father's death. Losing a parent makes a huge impact on an adolescent mind and kids find different ways to vent out their suffering or loss. Kalayla seemed almost unruffled by her father's death and that behavior does not go with the character that has been portrayed of her throughout the book. I would have enjoyed reading how wonderfully Kalayla overcame the grief and faced the new changes in her life.
I would rate this book a four out of four stars for the impressionable portrayal of the three women and the sisterhood they form to make a family, bound by love and trust. The verbal battle of wits between the 11-year-old and the 72-year-old woman definitely adds a bit of zest to the reading experience. The book is well-edited with only minor punctuation errors but it did not in any way hinder my reading.
For anyone who loves a real-life family drama, this book is definitely their cup of tea- with yummy, crunchy cookies on the side! I recommend this book to everyone who loves a sweet read. The smart-aleck 11-year-old's foul mouth spewing profanities, discussions on racism, and domestic abuse might make this book a non-read for minor and impressionable minds.
******
Kalayla
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
The saying, "Blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb" stands true in the book Kalayla by Jeannie Nicholas. Three women with generational, racial, and temperamental differences forge a unique bond and make their own little family based on love and trust. The character development via storytelling by the protagonists themselves gives the reader a personal touch. Jeannie Nicholas paints a realistic picture of joys and sufferings of womanhood-as a girl, wife, mother, and in old age. The novel is a mirror reflecting the true resilience shown by women in their fight against domestic abuse, racism, abandonment, or simply against an act of cruel fate.
The book is named after an 11-year-old, biracial, smart-mouthed, loner girl, Kalayla, who has developed a shrewd sense when it comes to managing school or home life. She lives with her timid, widowed mother- Maureen, who became an outcast for marrying a black man and is still picking up the pieces of her life after the sudden death of her husband. Living across the hall from them, is Lena Barzetti, a 72-year-old widow, who also happens to own the apartment building they live in. Reminiscing about her own children and wanting to help another woman struggling with motherhood, Lena meddles in Kalayla's life in an effort to try and help. It instead becomes a symbiotic relationship when the spunky girl brings back the lost color in Lena's life. Together they teach us how it is never too late for forgiveness and reconciliation, no matter how ruined the relationship is. One only has to take courage and make a conscious effort.
The one shortcoming I felt while reading this, was that the book doesn't address how Kalayla dealt with her father's death. Losing a parent makes a huge impact on an adolescent mind and kids find different ways to vent out their suffering or loss. Kalayla seemed almost unruffled by her father's death and that behavior does not go with the character that has been portrayed of her throughout the book. I would have enjoyed reading how wonderfully Kalayla overcame the grief and faced the new changes in her life.
I would rate this book a four out of four stars for the impressionable portrayal of the three women and the sisterhood they form to make a family, bound by love and trust. The verbal battle of wits between the 11-year-old and the 72-year-old woman definitely adds a bit of zest to the reading experience. The book is well-edited with only minor punctuation errors but it did not in any way hinder my reading.
For anyone who loves a real-life family drama, this book is definitely their cup of tea- with yummy, crunchy cookies on the side! I recommend this book to everyone who loves a sweet read. The smart-aleck 11-year-old's foul mouth spewing profanities, discussions on racism, and domestic abuse might make this book a non-read for minor and impressionable minds.
******
Kalayla
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Island Games by Caleb J. Boyer
