039: Just Out Here Tackling Systemic Oppression, NBD

In celebration of Jesmyn Ward coming to Lawrence on April 11th (event details -- tickets are free but required), we discussed Salvage the Bones, a story that tackles many, many social issues in an incredibly human way. That is to say... beautiful and devastating All. Of. The. Time. We give this novel all of our thumbs.

Bookish News:

• All the Light We Cannot See will be adapted to a Netlfix limited series
• There There by Tommy Orange won the PEN/Hemingway award for best debut novel! Hooray! 

.....Not to say that we predicted these things, but we HAVE discussed both of these books on the podcast as She Said/She Said picks. (AtLwCS and There There) Stick with us, we know the good stuff. 

One(?) Book Minimum:

• The Sun Is Also A Star by Nicola Yoon (Movie coming out soon! This one we cannot claim credit for.)
• The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters

The trailer to The Sun is Also a Star features the most gorgeous humans and the most beautiful story:

She Said/She Said: Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward 

First of all -- it's no secret that Kate looooves Jesmyn Ward. There's actually a bit of a mutual admiration between Ms. Ward and Kate's cat, Tubbs:

 #Humblebrag. 

Here's the general description:

A hurricane is building over the Gulf of Mexico, threatening the coastal town of Bois Sauvage, Mississippi, and Esch's father is growing concerned. A hard drinker, largely absent, he doesn't show concern for much else. Esch and her three brothers are stocking food, but there isn't much to save. Lately, Esch can't keep down what food she gets; she's fourteen and pregnant. Her brother Skeetah is sneaking scraps for his prized pitbull's new litter, dying one by one in the dirt. Meanwhile, brothers Randall and Junior try to stake their claim in a family long on child's play and short on parenting.

As the twelve days that make up the novel's framework yield to their dramatic conclusion, this unforgettable family--motherless children sacrificing for one another as they can, protecting and nurturing where love is scarce--pulls itself up to face another day. A big-hearted novel about familial love and community against all odds, and a wrenching look at the lonesome, brutal, and restrictive realities of rural poverty, Salvage the Bones is muscled with poetry, revelatory, and real.

 Here's a short reading from the novel:

2019 Book Squad Goals Reading Challenge can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/LPLBSG2019

Twice(-ish) a month, the librarians are in, with their favorite recommendations in Two Book Minimum, a toe-to-toe discussion on a book or topic, as well as news from the book world, updates from Lawrence Public Library, and beyond.

This episode was produced by Jim Barnes in the Sound & Vision studio. Our theme song is by Heidi Lynne Gluck. You can find the Book Squad Podcast on iTunes, opens a new window, Stitcher, opens a new window, or SoundCloud, opens a new window. Please subscribe and leave us comments – we’d love to know what you think, and your comments make it easier for other people to find our podcast. Happy reading and listening! xo, Polli & Kate