Review: Sport of the Gods

This post originally appeared on my craft blog.

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by Paul Lawrence Dunbar
1409963004 Paperback: 132 pages

Thanks to Tashi for the Throwback Thursday idea! Throwback Thursday is when you review a book that you read in the past or that was published a while ago. This is a serious throwback that I found at DailyLit.

This is the story of an African-American family from a post-slavery south. Unfortunate events cause this family to flee the south in shame and head to New York in hopes of a new beginning. The contrast in the harsh life of the big city to the slow life of the south serves in destroying the fabric of this family.

Being from the south, it was interesting to read the dialect portrayed in this book. I couldn't decide how realistic it was. I also know that the drawl of a Texan can be quite different than that of someone from Mississippi.

I found the story a bit predictable, but worth the read.

This book is part of the “August Color Me Brown Book Challenge” hosted by Susan from Color Online.

Review: Hell-Heaven

This post originally appeared on my craft blog.

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From
Unaccustomed Earth: Stories (2009)
by Jhumpa Lahiri
0307278255 Paperback: 352 pages

I found this story at Dailylit. I loved receiving a bit of the story each day. It became my break in a hectic schedule.

This is a sort of coming of age story of an Indian-American girl and her attempts at coming to grips with her identities in the two cultures. While the story is told through her eyes, she focuses on her family's interaction with an Indian man as he deals with his identity in an American world.

I really enjoyed this story and felt like I knew this girl, though I can't quite pinpoint why I felt that way. I found it interesting to watch her admire those things that were different than what was expected of her. And I felt sad for the lack of appreciation of those things that shape who and what we are.

While this is a short story, it is full an it caused me to want to read more about this character. I want to know how her life has evolved and what she values today.

This book is part of the “August Color Me Brown Book Challenge” hosted by Susan from Color Online.