★★★★★ 5
however the family takes precautions leading up to the storm to plan for one of the worst natural disasters in American history
Format: Paperback
Salvage the Bones is a deeply personal account of a young woman, Esch, and her family's life in the few days before Hurricane Katrina. The novel is set on the family's land in a small town in Mississippi. She lives with her father, her mother seven years deceased, and her three brothers, Skeetah, Randall, and Junior. Esch has recently learned that she is pregnant with the child of one of her older brother's friends. Skeetah takes care of his pitbull, China, helping her give birth and grooming her to fight for the family's honor. Randall plays basketball in hopes of gaining a college scholarship. Junior is a product of the mother's death, as she passed away giving birth to him, and leaves the family to mother him for the rest of his life. The novel describes the family's relationships with one another before the hurricane will rock them and test their connections to one another.
The novel is not set decisively around the hurricane, however the family takes precautions leading up to the storm to plan for one of the worst natural disasters in American history. Jesmyn Ward provides a semi-autobiographical context of the hurricane, as she was born in a small, rural community in Mississippi, similar to the one she describes in Salvage the Bones. Ward writes commonly in this tone, and her newest novel, Men Who Reaped, describes the lives of four men in her life that had suffered deaths far too young.
The novel is poetic in its writing style, and a beautiful read. Ward describes herself as a "failed poet," however, by reading the novel, it is clear that she succeeds in her poetry. Metaphors follow each line of description, and Ward is able to connect figurative language with the colloquial language of characters living in a rural community. It is undeniably pleasurable to read through the pages. Ward creates lovable characters and leaves the reader longing to discover what happens after the hurricane, and how the favorite characters are surviving in the wake of the natural disaster. There is a large dog presence throughout the novel, in addition to family ties, the novel provides a sense of companionship and a person's human relationship with his dog. The dog becomes a member of the family, and the relationship is called into question with the severity of the storm and the need to hold onto the most important things in times of crisis. I am overwhelmed with the poetic nature of this book and applaud Ward as an exceptional writer.
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Reviewed in the United States on November 23, 2015
