Review of Kalayla

[Artemis Mehra]

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

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4 out of 4 stars

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Kalayla by Jeannie Nicholas is a wholesome story, which is divided into three parts. The characters each have their own story. As you go on with the story, you will realize how well coordinated it is. The story is not only into division but it also shows the reflection of the age difference between the thought processes of each character. Lena Manero Barzetti is a seventy-two-year-old widow who had four children, all boys, and is still grieving the loss of her twins to the Vietnam War. She is a strong-headed, business-minded, and empathetic woman. She wears black and lives a colorless life. Kalayla Leeroyce, a thirteen-year-old black girl with green eyes. She is witty, fierce, and hard to impress (not to mention she got a loose mouth on her). She deeply cares for her mother and wears her being a black title like a crown; despite the contradicting views of society (I enjoyed reading about her a lot). Maureen O’Rourke Leeroyce is a thirty-year-old single mother to Kalayla. Maureen is a lover of art and knows her game around colors, unfortunately after the death of her husband; she had to give up on it and take care of Kalayla. She works as a waitress at a local café to meet the ends of their household. She loves her daughter to no end but sometimes struggles to keep up with her.
What I like the most about this book is how well you can relate to these females on their perspective of life.

Jeannie Nicholas throws light on parenting and its struggles. I’m not even a parent, yet it made me understand that you are always vulnerable for your child, as a parent. Amidst the maturity of Lena, the logic of Kalayla, and the diligence of Maureen, the story just flows seamlessly! For me this story was truly an exceptional read, I had the pleasure of knowing Kalayla, the most practical, understanding, and logical child you will ever come across.

The whole set of the storyline is arranged in a meaningful way. It also deals with the evils of our society like racism, discrimination, domestic violence, and child abuse. I’ve gained a lot of life lessons while reading it. I love how the author gave backstories of each character and their progression and improvement through it. I also appreciate how the author organized the book into parts focusing on a particular character and events around them.

This book is intended for an adult audience. It contains some sexual content and scattered profanities. This book is appropriate for adolescent readers with adult supervision. At some point you might encounter dark themes, if you are someone who is not bothered by them, give this book a try.

I would like to give Kalayla 4 out of 4 stars. I would not give it any lower because there was nothing to dislike about it. It was a fun read, well-written, professionally edited, and contained very few errors. Jeannie Nicholas’s work in this book is truly praiseworthy. Kalayla is a book that will make you understand that family is by the people who love you and supports you, not those who are related to you just by blood.

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Kalayla
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[Ozioma Miriam]

Thanks for an interesting review. The character Lena was a remarkable woman in this book worthy of imitation. Her life and the decisions she made is a lessons for women today.