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4.3 ★★★★★
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★★★★★ 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
★★★★★ 3
A deceptively brilliant novel.
Format: Kindle
This novel does a great job of weaving careful diction and sentence structure to give each chapter a sort of charm. The writing is definitely one to praise and cherish. However, this is unfortunately where most praise ends. The novel is incredibly slow and has very little points. The whole entire time, we are made to believe that Katrina is at the core of the story when in reality, it only spends about 2 chapters really focused on the disaster itself. Although, I would still recommend this novel if you are looking for a more slice of life in the middle of Mississippi. But it's not the ultimate tale of disaster it was made out to be.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 18, 2023
★★★★★ 4
Listening to Life
I don't remember why I bought this book. It probably wasn't that it won the National Book Award for 2011; more likely that it's about the Mississippi coast in the time prior to Hurricane Katrina. I have family living on that coastline, and have visited the area many times, being from the not-so-far-away Louisiana "hill country." (Don't laugh - there are some.)
I'm white, though, and while all Southerners of all classes and races interact (although they sometimes don't act like it), this book has a lot to say about the underprivileged of all ilks throughout the South. The book is about a black family - or what remains of one - in the two weeks or so leading up to Katrina.
The principal character and narrator is the girl of the family, Esch, and she's pregnant. Esch has an alter ego of sorts in her brother Skeetah's pit bull, China, who in the first few pages gives birth to her first litter. Skeetah is something of a dog whisperer, and his hold on China is little short of magical. There's another brother, Randall, who has hoop dreams, and a late addition to the family, Junior.
A young lad named Manny has done the dirty with Esch; she's in love with him, and is reluctant to tell him she's pregnant. She goes through all the usual throes of morning sickness, having to guess what's going on in her biology, but she's a plucky kid, and she perseveres.
When Katrina hits, the family, which has already been turned upside down by poverty and the brood's mother's earlier death, is turned - I don't know - sideways.
But this isn't a story about victimization. It owes a lot to Hugo's underclass in Les Miserables - they improvise, they adapt, they attempt continually to overcome. Ward's book leaves us with a poignant ending, but one with resilience and promise.
Jesmyn Ward knows how to hold a reader, she takes us deep into the souls of Esch, particularly, but each of the others in the family as well. She paces her story like a pro, never leaving us in despair, with a hint of promise just over the horizon. The story's details are what continued to charm me: Esch-as-narrator's eloquence, her insight (although she often spoke more "street" in dialogue - but it works) into her condition, the family's ongoing plight as well as their separate and collaborative dreams. The attention to nature: the weather, of course, the dog's fleas, ants crawling across Esch's toes, the smell of the unkempt house, the feel of sweat, the ramen and Vienna sausages they eat. Even the details of a series of dogfights.
This book clearly deserves the award. It's about life, and I can tell you it speaks to life as a Southerner, regardless of race, or color, or creed.
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Reviewed in the United States on December 29, 2011
★★★★★ 5
An important, powerful story
Format: Paperback
Salvage the Bones tells the story of an African American family in Mississippi in the days leading up to Hurricane Katrina. The narrative follows Esch, a young girl who has just found out she is pregnant and is reluctant to tell her brothers and father about it. Her father, with the help of her brothers, is preparing for the impending storm, certain that it will be devastating even when others doubt it. Additionally, her brother Skeetah tends to his dog who has just given birth, China.
This novel tells an important story of survivors who are often overlooked. It is an intense and well-paced read, as both Esch’s baby and Katrina are constantly looming. I greatly enjoyed the interweaving of Esch’s family’s story with the broader history of Katrina that I am more familiar with; it really empowered me to consider the individual lives of all those affected and just how much was lost. The familial relationships in this novel are its best part— they are all so complex but feel very true to life. Ward’s writing is accessible and clear while still providing a rich and powerful reading experience. Sometimes, the novel felt a bit on-the-nose with its themes and allusions, to the point where I found certain images and phrases overly repetitive. However, that was just one small gripe to much richer reading experience.
If you are interested in themes of maternity, poverty, survival, and climate, or simply want to experience a powerful and necessary story, I would recommend Salvage the Bones.
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Reviewed in the United States on December 11, 2019
★★★★★ 5
Motherless Children and Widowers
Format: Kindle
A dead mother leaves four precocious children to a drunken husband, but not a worthless one, because he is, fortunately, prepared to face the storms of induced poverty in a racially segregated Louisiana.
In the midst of everyday survival, the major characters - humans and dogs - become ready and resourceful to withstand any storm. Jesmyn Ward takes her time to get them ready. And through her superb writing she rewards us with a refreshed perception of who these resilient characters represent in real life.
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Reviewed in the United States on February 6, 2026