Absalom's Daughters
by Suzanne Feldman
Loaned to me from my mom’s collection, all she told me was Absalom’s Daughters followed two Southern girls, one white and one black, who take a road trip together. It was the perfect introduction with no spoilers, and that’s all I’ll tell you about it either! I will add that I loved this book and highly recommend it for female readers. It definitely belongs in the Women’s Fiction genre.
The story itself is timeless and simple, exploring the bonds of friendship and family, but it’s Suzanne Feldman’s writing style that makes the book fantastic. Her dialogue is written as Mark Twain’s and Margaret Mitchell’s was, phonetically inserting the very thick Southern accent into the reader’s minds and never letting it lapse. I love that style, but if you don’t, you’ll find this book impossible to get through. To me, Feldman’s dialogue is enough to create vivid, realistic characters who are ignorant but not unlikable. It’s a tough line to walk, and she nails it. Add in descriptions of the surroundings, from the poverty-stricken households to the broken-down car and spotty reception of the “reddio”, and you’ve got an irresistible story that will stick in your mind for years afterwards.
The story itself is timeless and simple, exploring the bonds of friendship and family, but it’s Suzanne Feldman’s writing style that makes the book fantastic. Her dialogue is written as Mark Twain’s and Margaret Mitchell’s was, phonetically inserting the very thick Southern accent into the reader’s minds and never letting it lapse. I love that style, but if you don’t, you’ll find this book impossible to get through. To me, Feldman’s dialogue is enough to create vivid, realistic characters who are ignorant but not unlikable. It’s a tough line to walk, and she nails it. Add in descriptions of the surroundings, from the poverty-stricken households to the broken-down car and spotty reception of the “reddio”, and you’ve got an irresistible story that will stick in your mind for years afterwards.