Review of Kalayla
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Claire Twy
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Review of Kalayla
[Following is a volunteer review of "Kalayla" by Jeannie Nicholas.]
Kalayla by Jeannie Nicholas is a heartwarming piece of literature which bands together three generations of women all dealing with their own struggles. Lena, an elderly widow who survived an abusive marriage, takes an interest in the girl roaming around the streets by herself and makes up her mind to be to this girl what she failed to be for her own sons. Yet this proves more difficult than she imagines, with the wily teenage brat called Kalayla viewing her as a nuisance and thwarting her good-hearted attempts with rudeness and scorn. However, with a personality as complex as her name, under her tough-as-nails exterior, Kalayla proves to be as vulnerable and in need of love as any 11-year-old trying to find her way into the world. As Lena becomes more involved in Kalayla and her mother Maureen's lives, the latter entrusts her with a secret she's kept from Kalayla her whole life: the truth about her family. After falling in love with a black man, Maureen was cast out by her Irish family and remained estranged from them even after the death of her husband. She keeps this painful truth from Kalayla as long as possible, although, as she is constantly reminded throughout the book, delaying the inevitable truth will only make things worse. Through tears, laughter, pain and joy, we watch as these women living in our harsh and messy society are forged into shining diamonds in the rough.
The book is alternately written from these three character's viewpoints, each with a distinct style suiting their personality. I really like this technique because it helps to flesh out the characters, allowing us to hear their own voice while also showing us what other characters think of them. For example, due to the way that Lena scathingly berates herself for how her children turned out, we form the impression that she was a helpless wife who submitted with little protest and was under her husband's strict control. However, from Maureen's viewpoint, as a single mother who struggles to raise her child, we feel that Lena must have been an extremely competent mother from her sound and sensible advice and the wisdom she imparts in every situation. Moreover, the pace is well-maintained throughout the story to keep readers on their toes; after every problem has been resolved, a new one crops up and our three protagonists have to deal with the situation once more, facing new challenges that threaten to drive them apart again.
Although the familial and platonic relationships were developed well, I found the romantic relationships a bit rushed. It almost seems as if the author was afraid of taking attention away from the relationships between the main characters, so there was little to no development in the relationships between the women and their love interests.
Altogether, I would rate this book 3 out of 4 stars as it was an engaging read which really caused me to become emotionally invested in the characters and to care about their stories and struggles. Beyond covering themes such as family and female empowerment, the book also touched on other themes such as abuse, rape, mental illness, racism and homophobia. It perfectly trod the fine line between actually addressing these issues in a tasteful and tactful manner and being 'woke' for the sake of it. It should be noted that profanities and sexual content were involved to further the story and depict the harsh experiences of victims, so I would be cautious about recommending this book to children. However, for casual readers who are craving an emotionally satisfying and well-developed story, Kalayla is the one for you.
******
Kalayla
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Kalayla by Jeannie Nicholas is a heartwarming piece of literature which bands together three generations of women all dealing with their own struggles. Lena, an elderly widow who survived an abusive marriage, takes an interest in the girl roaming around the streets by herself and makes up her mind to be to this girl what she failed to be for her own sons. Yet this proves more difficult than she imagines, with the wily teenage brat called Kalayla viewing her as a nuisance and thwarting her good-hearted attempts with rudeness and scorn. However, with a personality as complex as her name, under her tough-as-nails exterior, Kalayla proves to be as vulnerable and in need of love as any 11-year-old trying to find her way into the world. As Lena becomes more involved in Kalayla and her mother Maureen's lives, the latter entrusts her with a secret she's kept from Kalayla her whole life: the truth about her family. After falling in love with a black man, Maureen was cast out by her Irish family and remained estranged from them even after the death of her husband. She keeps this painful truth from Kalayla as long as possible, although, as she is constantly reminded throughout the book, delaying the inevitable truth will only make things worse. Through tears, laughter, pain and joy, we watch as these women living in our harsh and messy society are forged into shining diamonds in the rough.
The book is alternately written from these three character's viewpoints, each with a distinct style suiting their personality. I really like this technique because it helps to flesh out the characters, allowing us to hear their own voice while also showing us what other characters think of them. For example, due to the way that Lena scathingly berates herself for how her children turned out, we form the impression that she was a helpless wife who submitted with little protest and was under her husband's strict control. However, from Maureen's viewpoint, as a single mother who struggles to raise her child, we feel that Lena must have been an extremely competent mother from her sound and sensible advice and the wisdom she imparts in every situation. Moreover, the pace is well-maintained throughout the story to keep readers on their toes; after every problem has been resolved, a new one crops up and our three protagonists have to deal with the situation once more, facing new challenges that threaten to drive them apart again.
Although the familial and platonic relationships were developed well, I found the romantic relationships a bit rushed. It almost seems as if the author was afraid of taking attention away from the relationships between the main characters, so there was little to no development in the relationships between the women and their love interests.
Altogether, I would rate this book 3 out of 4 stars as it was an engaging read which really caused me to become emotionally invested in the characters and to care about their stories and struggles. Beyond covering themes such as family and female empowerment, the book also touched on other themes such as abuse, rape, mental illness, racism and homophobia. It perfectly trod the fine line between actually addressing these issues in a tasteful and tactful manner and being 'woke' for the sake of it. It should be noted that profanities and sexual content were involved to further the story and depict the harsh experiences of victims, so I would be cautious about recommending this book to children. However, for casual readers who are craving an emotionally satisfying and well-developed story, Kalayla is the one for you.
******
Kalayla
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Terms of Service by Craig W. Stanfill
