Eat, Read, and Be Mommy

Yeah, I missed another post–and I wasn’t going to. Once I got in the shower, though, it slipped my mind. (Not that I should have put it off that late, but still.)

Today, however, I finished listening to one of THIS YEAR’S Newbery Honor books. (Can you believe it?!) Alicia Williams’ Genesis Begins Again sounded painful to me, and honestly, I wouldn’t have gone for it so soon after it won if I hadn’t noticed it as ‘new in audio’ while checking Libby. Since I had the print copy checked out, it seemed like fate–something else I could read during Quarantine, so that it could actually go back to the library after it reopens. And so–I jumped into Genesis’s world.

Wow. It was painful–there’s no denying that–and yet it managed to still be an amazing read. It didn’t just beat me down with depressing (I’m looking at you, Poisonwood Bible); instead, I cared about Genesis and rooted for her and wanted to hug her and rock her as if she were my own. (EVEN when I also wanted to shake her for some of her choices.) This isn’t an easy book to read, but it’s a good read, and I don’t always say that about books that make me hurt for a main character that much. It’s powerful, it’s engaging, and it’s hopeful while not being unrealistic; it also makes you think about skin color in the specific sense. Not white or black or brown, but shades of skin color. And I could keep writing for another 10 minutes and not do it any more justice, so I’m leaving it there. So good, Alicia D. Williams. SO GOOD.