Friday Spines Book Review:
Bastard Out of Carolina is a story of family and resilience set in a demographic not often portrayed without bias or agenda. Set in the poor South in the 1950's, it's a novel reminiscent of a memoir with an incredibly honest voice that provides a reliable, unflinchingly harsh narrative.
The book opens with an explanation of the title. Our main character's 15-year-old mother, Anney, was in a car accident when she was pregnant, and she gave birth a few days later, still in a coma. Her mother and sister couldn't convince the hospital staff that Anney was married, so her newborn daughter Ruth Anne's birth certificate had "Illegitimate" stamped across the bottom. Although Anney tried several times to obtain a certificate without the shameful word, Ruth Anne--quickly nicknamed Bone--grew up certified as a bastard.
Bone's father hadn't been around for a while by the time she was born, and her sister Reese's father is killed in a car crash. A few years later Anney is pregnant with Glen's baby, and after their marriage she miscarries. Glen begins sexually abusing Bone in a car, while they're waiting for news of Anney's baby. This continues sporadically over the years, combined with physical abuse that goes long undiscovered.
One of the subplots of the book is Bone's friendship with a rich girl named Shannon Pearl, whose parents are involved in managing the gospel choir of the local church. Bone has an intense love affair with gospel music, which is empathized with but gently ridiculed by her many family members. Bone vascilates between intense pity and hatred for Shannon, feels at times part of the Pearl family and at times completely alienated by the differences in their financial and social situations. Bone's reflective tone analyzes her relationships with immediate and extended family as well as dynamics in other families, providing us with a sense of the "typical" in her culture even as it serves as a mirror to tell us more about Bone herself.
There are many themes of family in this book, both good and bad, that set it apart from other popular novels set in the south (To Kill A Mockingbird or Gone With the Wind, for example). The culture is fascinating and very well-written, in a realistic and unpatronizing tone. While the story is certainly dark, Bone's youth and her unquestionably strong personality rescue the novel from having a completely hopeless atmosphere. There are themes of alcoholism, violence, and abuse, so I don't recommend this novel for the squeamish reader, or readers under 16.
Other things I liked about this book:
- Allison's incredibly vivid, adept use of imagery isn't limited to either the positive or more disturbing scenes in the book. Her subtle but meticulous detail touches on many facets of Bone's life, yet isn't exhaustive enough to discourage readers.
- The characters are full and realistic, able to support a story of their own even as they're kept in the background by Bone's analytical perception.
- The ending isn't cliché but it's lovely and fits well with the story.
- Bone's narration is intelligent, spirited, and clear, and although we see events literally through her eyes--if she's asleep or absent, the gap in the story is either acknowledged or filled in with someone else's version of the events. The novel reads as something closer to memoir than fiction, excellently blurring genres in a semi-autobiographical story.
This is a very unique book, and the only book I could think of for the Similar Books recommendation is The Red Tent, by Anita Diament. Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale, and The Glass Castle, by Jeanette Walls have both been recommended to me as being similar, although I haven't read them yet--if you have read either of those, let me know your thoughts!
Happy reading!
M. Gabrielle
No comments:
Post a Comment