The Kid

The Kid by Sapphire, Penguin Press, 07/05/ 2011, 384 pages, $25.95
ISBN-10: 1594203040
ISBN-13: 978-1594203046

Sapphire is the author of the bestselling novel Push and two collections of poetry.

The Kid is by far the most disturbing novel I have ever read. When we first meet Abdul, he is nine and it is the occasion of his mother’s funeral. His mother was the main character Precious of the landmark novel Push. She has died of AIDS and her son is orphaned. It is a beginning that would seem to hint nothing worse could possibly happen to this child and yet, each time in this tragic book that Abdul seems to sink to his lowest point something even more horrendous drags him further into the abyss.
In many ways the story of Abdul Jones seems unreal, but it is gritty and devastating and a sad social commentary on many things such as child welfare, not only in the neighbourhood of Harlem. Sadly, while I believe Sapphire may have exaggerated character and plot to make a point, his story for an Aids orphan in America is probably not that far off the mark.
While it appears initially to the boy that he might, in his confused state, be taken into the care of his mother’s friend, Rita, a woman he calls Aunt, the social services system quickly puts an end to that childish naivete. The foster home he is moved to is horrific beyond description and from there on Abdul, also known as J.J., travels deeper into a hellish cycle of physical and sexual abuse that seems unending. Abdul is moved like a pawn through so many homes and institutions it becomes dehumanizing to say the least. Eventually he is moved to a school, run by Catholic Brothers, and he begins to blossom as a young intelligent soul who has had some hard breaks and yet, naturally he is targeted for abuse again and again. It is here that he grows large enough physically, and tortured enough mentally to become warped into a predator as well.
The Kid is another brave novel, just as Push was. But what happens here in this novel when the topic is male violence and male abuse and the abused turns into abuser, well it is beyond pushing the envelope, it is alienating and much too challenging for most. This character is one of the most tragic and complex characters I have ever encountered. While Precious had much that was redeeming and seemed to triumph at least spiritually over circumstances, with her writing, J.J., Abdul, Precious’ son, has an artistic side too. He is however unable to make it the tool to move past that which has been done to him. He is quite a bright young student full of potential, but that too makes him a target, prey for others.
Fifteen years after the publication of Push, after the Academy Award-winning film adaptation, Sapphire breathes the son to life. This is a sequel that is graphic and brave. It is compelling even as you want to throw it down in disgust. Sapphire’s style is still brilliant and gritty and urban, borrowing heavily on Virginia Woolf’s stream of consciousness technique. At times, when Abdul is claimed by a distant grandmother of sorts, it is difficult to tell where dream or story begins and ends. The Kid is not a novel I would recommend to many outside the field of child welfare. It is the most brutal coming of age story imaginable.

This is a frightening and harsh read. $$$ out of $$$$$. Not as memorable as Precious in Push.

Gabby - Book Trailer

Makeda

(My Full review appears in New York Journal of Books)

Makeda combines so many themes and genres it is slightly hard to categorize. It is a sweeping saga starting at the point of the civil rights movement and tracing the roots of a common history through time and, even space. Makeda is also the highly personal inner journey of one man, Gray March. 

March is a conflicted young man when he comes to his grandmother’s parlour to enjoy her company, seeking refuge from his own life. He is alienated from his father and mother and, as we quickly learn, has brother has died under mysterious circumstances. The grandmother, the character of the title Makeda, is a blind woman who claims to have visions and recollects past lives and stories that resonate with Gray.

Makeda is a very matriarchal tale and the female characters here are admirable and strong, which is a rather unique thing to find in contemporary fiction. In fact, they are the heart and soul of the novel, despite the fact that the main character, Gray is a man. He is fashioned by the female influences in his life. Makeda has been blind since birth, but she dreams in color. She recollects several past lives through dream like states and, one of these dreams leads her grandson on a research expedition through Africa. Jeanne Burgess is the scholar and love interest that holds Gray’s past up as the stumbling block it is, and forces him to reveal and deal with his ghosts so that he can move forward.

Randall Robinson is an intellectual and a writer of note. He has numerous publications to his credit. He is the author of An Unbroken Agony and bestsellers, The Debt, The Reckoning, Quitting America and Defending The Spirit. This novel is well researched and intricate. It delivers a lot of historical fact. It is however at times too densely packed and might have been more aggressively pruned. Robinson’s prose is quite lovely in passages such as: “The month of March seems invariably to promise more than it delivers, teasing spring, frustrating hope’s impatience.” And yet there are moments that it is almost bogged down by the plot and excessive wordiness. While the main character Gray is accomplished and a scholar and the intellectual style of writing is not completely out of character, it is a barrier for readers. It is an intellectual affect - using four large words when one accurate one might do and make a work more accessible.

The reincarnation theme takes us through history and dabbles in magic realism. Robinson’s latest has earned some comparisons to the writings of Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Toni Morrison, but the latter author has more in common with Robinson stylistically and thematically.

While suspense is maintained through much of Makeda, the middle section lagged momentum. But the end of the story is more than worth the effort. The final few pages of Makeda are a breathtaking revelation, weighted with romance and lovely passionate prose.

Makeda by Randall Robinson, Akashic Books, Open Lens Imprint, 08/30/2011

ISBN 10: 1617750220, ISBN 13: 978-1-61775-022-9, 350 pages.

Thriftymommasbrainfood gives this one a $$$ 1/2 rating.

It's Your Kid, Not a Gerbil #Giveaway

I don't often point out great giveaways here on brainfood, unless they are my great giveaways. But I am making an exception here because I love this author. So I wanted to share him with my readers. Especially if they have yet to hear of Dr. Kevin Leman. Dr. Leman writes smart parenting books. He has also written at least one children's book about adoption of which I am a big fan. The author, and Tyndale Books, have a super giveaway contest on right now. You can even win an IPOD. Tyndale and the author are giving away he new book, It's Your Kid, Not A Gerbil. You can visit the Tyndale Blog to enter where we're giving away an iPod Touch, three Kevin Leman book prize packs, and 5 copies of It's Your Kid, Not A Gerbil. Subtitle is Creating a Happier and Less Stressed Home. I think we can all benefit from that philosophy. Click on links below to enter. Don't forget to say that thriftymommasbrainfood sent you. Good luck!



To enter, visit the contest page and fill out the entry form after completing at least one of the following actions (each action completed counts as an entry into the giveaway).

• Visit the It's Your Kid Not A Gerbil Facebook page and become a fan
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