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Salvage the Bones by Call Number: PS3623.A7323 S36 2011ISBN: 9781608195220Publication Date: 2011Book (Fiction)
Title
Salvage the Bones
Jesmyn Ward
Review
There is something about Salvage the Bones that is beautiful and graceful, almost lyrical. But there is something savage and desperate in the pages as well. There is a sadness here, and tentative beauty, that any reader of fiction could embrace.
Salvage the Bones is set in the southern Mississippi town of Bois Sauvage (literally, savage wood in French) on the eve of Hurricane Katrina. Esch is pregnant, scared, and in love. She scrapes out an existence with her father and three brothers who swirl around her like planets flying around the sun.
I found myself embroiled in these characters- invested in their survival. The things that remain unspoken between them often highlight their loyalty and love for one another. I wanted to crawl into the pages and hug little Junior, the youngest brother whose birth lead to the death of their mother. Junior is sweet and innocent, and his suffering floats through the pages, a by-product of their poverty. Each character has been richly developed; each is an individual with complexity. I could almost expect to find this family still living on the Gulf Coast if I were to travel south and look for them.
I almost didn’t read this book- but I’m glad I did. The truth is some things are hard to read. I hope that you pick up Salvage the Bones and enjoy it thoroughly. A good book doesn’t always leave you feeling happy- but, in my mind, when one leaves you feeling is when you know you’ve really found a treasure. ~ Emily Z. Brown
Review Date
Reviewed March 2013
