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Red at the Bone

  • Mocha Girl
  • Dec 9, 2019
  • 3 min read

Thanks to everyone who ventured out join us in the discussion of Jacqueline Woodson's latest novel, Red at the Bone! It was great people, great food, and good conversation. We’re honored that our guest, Vanessa, chose to share a few hours of her birthday with us!

We discussed a lot - some of the key topics we covered:

  • The decision of an emotional, ill-prepared 15 year-old’s decision to keep her child affects so many lives and how quickly “wanting” a baby morphed into emotional and physical abandonment

  • The themes of classism, racism, shame/embarrassment affected the characters

  • The expectations from one generation to the next; the concept of “legacies” and how helpful and harmful it can be as illustrated in the book

  • The meaning of the novel’s title

  • The hints and impacts of depression and other forms of mental illness that was overtly and covertly depicted in a couple of characters

Also -

  • Thanks to Vanessa for volunteering to moderate the March discussion - we’re looking forward to her choice!

  • Congrats to Davita for winning a 2020 Inspirational Planning Journal!

Our Thoughts & Outtakes

NCBC Group Average: 3.4

Vanessa - 4/4.5: Enjoyed the novel. Initially, there was confusion surrounding the narrator of each chapter - so she had to use her imagination to fill in the details until it became clear what the author intended. She found Iris to be an honest character who didn’t constrain her emotions and the only aspect that she didn’t understand was why Aubrey didn’t want more and why his mother didn’t push him as she did with Iris.

Richelle - 4: Also enjoyed the novel - the succinct, poetic feel of the book allowed her to enjoy it more. The portrayal of Aubrey, a “minor” African-American male character, was beautifully written and she appreciated his empathetic, self-sacrificing nature. She would recommend the book to adults, not necessarily young adults.

Chanell - 3.5: Listened to the book on Audible and also had issues with determining perspectives when the chapters changed. Liked that it was short; enjoyed the style of writing. The retelling of the same event(s) from differing characters appealed to her. Loved the portrayal of the black males throughout the story. Appreciated the book didn’t glorify motherhood and clearly explored the challenges of having unwanted children.

Sharice - 3.5: Enjoyed it - like the classism themes and identity issues (as exhibited in characters like Melody and Iris). Like others, the switching of narrators along with changing timelines made it difficult to follow along. Disliked the ending, need more; some semblance of closure and what becomes of Iris and Melody’s relationship.

Davita - 3: The book was uneven, some parts flowed better than others. She noted the faulty narration and not sure why this is a New York Times Bestseller. This is her least favorite offering from the author.

Dossi - 3: Enjoyed the short story, but wanted a bit more substance and closure concerning Melody -- what did she decide to do with her life? How did she turn out? Did Melody and Iris’s relationship evolve from that of two adults (who seemed to dislike each other) to a more traditional mother-daughter bond? Too much was left unanswered at the end of the novel.

Natalie - 3: Liked the novel and appreciated that it was fairly “light” compared to what the book club has read recently. She thought the book flowed well, but noted it was tricky at times to determine who was talking.

Phyllis - 3.5: Echoed many of the thoughts expressed above. Appreciated the historical events featured in the book and the creativity employed to make them impactful and relevant to the story.

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Nubian Circle Book Club

Orlando, Florida

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