In parts a brutal read and highlights survival instincts of strong women
I was captivated by the story from the minute I started reading. The skilful writing really brings the characters to life and I felt fully immersed into the time period of each section of the book.
This is not a soft fluffy read. Parts of the story are brutal. The narrative illustrates the themes of misogyny and racism within American society (both past and present). It also highlights classism within both the black and white communities.
The women in the book are all strong women. They are complex characters and not necessarily all good, but they all do their best under trying circumstances. On the other hand the male characters are not always portrayed in such a favourable light!
As mentioned before I really enjoyed reading this novel. The setting and the characters felt stronger in the earlier sections of the book, but I was still absorbed to the end.