How did I earn an English degree without ever reading this book? It was wonderful. This was one of those books that I’d heard referenced occasionally but still managed to know nothing about. It did not disappoint, and I can see why it’s often referenced as an iconic story. Generations of love and loss, with poverty as the background of it all. The book includes so many memorable scenes, and many realistic characters. I was actually sad for the story to end, because you know there’s so much more to come for the very real-feeling people you’ve gotten to know.
The author based the setting and many of the incidents on her own life, which is saddening based on the level of poverty. One chilling thing that comes up over and over again is a ‘game’ the family plays that they are lost and can’t find anything good to eat, which is how the parents try to distract the children when there is nothing to feed their family. The children narrowly escape many horrors and painfully endure others. Despite the setting and the reality portrayed, the story is hopeful. The protagonist Francie loves to read, using books to explore other worlds and lives, which ultimately opens up a wider future for her than most.
Francie’s hardworking mother is both a hero and an anti-hero in the book, as you watch her love for a hopeless lost cause (Francie’s father) drain the family, but as the reader, I was also inspired by the way she persevered in difficulty and stayed true to her commitment. The entire family’s story was captivating, from the younger siblings to the grandmother to the singing-waiter-father, as the author gives regular glimpses back into the parents’ earlier lives. She has a strong message of paternal sacrifice as the older generation has come to America, knowing they will be destitute and scorned for their ethnicity, but hoping that it will lead to a brighter possible future for their children and grandchildren.
