This year, I find myself in a book club. Our first book club read:

In-My-Own-Words Summary

Girl with troglodytes for family finds herself living in the marsh alone at a young age. Things are pretty well crap. But, it’s cool. Things are don’t end as poorly as they could have.

Also – murder mystery.

Also – nature book.

What I Liked

The descriptions of nature were absolutely lovely. Delia Owens could have written her entire book about the sites, smells, and sounds of the marsh, and I would have torn through it with enthusiasm and vigor!

I am a bit of a birder, so I loved the descriptions of the waterfowl and their feathers.

What I Didn’t Like

Reading about racism is hard for a southerner. I should say it is hard for this southerner.

Given the times we live in, it is especially hard to read about southern racism, because I was a fool and thought it didn’t exist anymore. It touches a nerve.

Being southern means we have good food, good music, and generally warm and welcoming demeanors. Unfortunately, it also means we (not me, but we southerners who were here before me) were on the wrong side of the war.

Also, reading about abuse and assault is never fun nor is it necessary. While the book did not recount the abuse and assault in incredible detail, I found myself shaking my head and putting the book down every now and then.

Final Thoughts

The writer is skilled. I look forward to reading her other non-fiction works for sure!

That being said, this is not a book I would have chosen for myself. Reading about abuse, assault, and racism has never been comfortable for me. That discomfort has only increased as I have gotten older.

I am glad that I read the book. It was incredibly different from anything I’ve read in the last few years and was emotionally evocative which is how we know the writer did a good job.

Rating

If you look at my GoodReads account, you’ll notice that I very rarely give less than a three-star rating. This is because I know what it takes to write a book. Every author deserves at least three stars for finishing the thing!

My scale goes like this:

3 stars for appreciation of completion of work, but not a book for me.

4 stars for appreciation, and I liked it.

5 stars for appreciation, I liked it, I will read it again, and I’ve already purchased it as a gift for someone else!

I gave this book 3 stars as it simply did not suit my reading taste, but the author did a wonderful job.