A couple of my friends here (waves hi at Julie & Kara) have read this, and with Julie’s review I decided to pick it up. It was a nice dovetail and A couple of my friends here (waves hi at Julie & Kara) have read this, and with Julie’s review I decided to pick it up. It was a nice dovetail and contrast to the emotional day I had when I read this, with Ai’s battery heart always ticking down to empty and reminding her of her humanity and cyborg-ness at the same time. She masquerades as AI software, ghostwriting gigs for others for cheaper than real AI software as she tries to pay down the accumulated debt from her deceased parents who arguably died for the tech-forward corporation of New Age in the always-awake city of Emit. She lives on the other side of the bridge from the city, in slums built up under one of its pillars, with others just trying to survive on the fringes of the all-consuming city. Though it is a novelette, it is rich and gripping, and Ai’s story resonates so much with what today’s world believes A.I. is capable of and pushing to use it ever more. But when you give humanity up to the machines, all you will get is soullessness. Yet to keep up, some sacrifices need to be made; the question is, how much is worth giving up before you’ve lost yourself to the machine?...more
Geeta has been a social outcast ever since her husband left her five years ago. It doesn’t help her image that all the villagers in her small India Geeta has been a social outcast ever since her husband left her five years ago. It doesn’t help her image that all the villagers in her small Indian village think that she killed him, but it is convenient for her so she can focus on her mangalsutra jewelry business and saving for a refrigerator. One day one of the married women from her small loan group approaches her for help in removing her nose ring – becoming a widow – from her booze-loving husband, and Geeta finds herself helping her to plot a murder. It won’t be simple though, and things soon spiral beyond what Geeta expected. Will she have to handle it on her own, or will she find support where she least expected it? This was another library challenge read – read a book from the Hot Books display – and this one caught my eye for the premise and as something outside of my usual reading area. It is set in a small Indian village, one which is steeped in patriarchy, castes, and on the fringe of India’s efforts to lessen the inequalities such traditions typically entail. In Geeta and the women’s cases, this is represented through female empowerment through financial agency. Much more comes in to play, what with the murder plotting of morally deficient husbands (to put it lightly), the awareness of how unequal things are, and the desire to make things right, whether it be in a small way or a bigger way. Seeing how Geeta evolves, and how her relationships with the other women (Saloni, Farah, Preity, Priya, and Khushi) change and grow with each new twist she – and they – run into, is a roller coaster of hope, stubbornness, reverting back, dark humor, and more. Part of what makes a story good is how invested one gets with the characters, following them one step forward and two steps back, rooting for them when things are tough, cheering their accomplishments whether big or small, and wanting to see everything turn out the best for them. So I felt with first Geeta, then the other women one by one as their lives tied closer and closer to Geeta’s. Each knife twist to Geeta’s independence or confidence hurt, each successful jab back she got saw a figurative fist pump in a job well done. The turns in the story kept me on my toes, the dark humor and the underlying desire for better for Geeta and the women the glue keeping it all together. And it was quite a ride!
Quotes: You could be smart—like her father, like her—and still have no means to get even half a step further in life. You could be smart and still break your back for coins that disappeared directly into your children’s bellies as they scratched their plates. – chapter 4 (page 48/410)
She no longer wished to discuss this. She regretted throwing her injuries in his face. Not to spare him, never that, but because she was not a victim and he was not anyone to pander to. – chapter 5 (page 62/410)
But freedom, Geeta had once heard or read somewhere, is what a person does with what’s been done to her. – chapter 6 (page 67/410)
“But still,” Geeta said. “ ‘Parenthood is a privilege,’ right? With all the ‘joy and rewards’?” Karem snorted. “What? No. I mean, okay, well, yes sometimes, but it’s also just thankless work. I love my kids, I can’t imagine not having them, but I also completely can imagine not having them.” He laughed. “It’s strange. But you have to really be sure you want them to make it worth it. Otherwise, don’t do it.” – chapter 7 (page 88/410)
“Most feelings don’t last.” “That’s sad.” His half smile was quizzical. “Is it? I always thought it was reassuring. Like, knowing it’s all temporary lowers the stakes. You can let yourself go to the limits of it all, because it will pass.” “So love doesn’t stay? What about your kids?” “Love can stay. But that’s because it’s not a feeling.” She already disagreed with him but asked anyway, “What is it, then?” “It’s a commitment.” “Like an obligation?” “No, not in a bad way. I just mean it’s a choice you renew every day.” – chapter 7 (Page 90 of 388)
Years later, Geeta knew that she hadn’t joined the chant out of any acute hate, but neither had she possessed enough compassion to abstain. Bystanders shoulder their own blame, and Geeta was now shamefully puzzled as to why a tiny act of bravery had been so beyond her. – chapter 11 (page 126-127/388)
(view spoiler)[ “No one is going to jail, Geeta. Me and Preity and Priya and even Farah aren’t afraid because we know that.” “How?”(hide spoiler)] “Because we’re middle-aged housewives. Who’s more invisible than us? We can get away with murder. Literally. Once you realize that, you’ll stop whimpering like an incontinent baby raccoon.” – chapter 15 (page 177-178/388)
“Why aren’t we ever the oppressing assholes? Why is everything a reaction for us?” “Because,” Saloni said. “Women were built to endure the rules men make.” “But don’t we get to make choices, too?” (view spoiler)[“You did, with Darshan. And you’re going to stand up for yourself with Farah, you hear me?[”] – (hide spoiler)] chapter 19 (page 217/388)
(view spoiler)[[Geeta] resented being put in a position where those were her choices: violence or violation. She didn’t want to be built to endure, a long-suffering saint tossed by the whims of men. She wanted, for once, not to be handed the short end of the stick by a system that expected gratitude in return. – chapter 20 (page 229/388)
(Wanna know a secret? I actually don’t think I lost much. I was drunk, which is its own form of blindness. I’m sober now, which is its own form of sight.) - chapter 25 (page 322/446) (hide spoiler)]
For me, fiction is when research meets compassion; I believe this is often why facts don’t change people’s minds, but stories do. – Author’s Note (page 422/446)...more
Having no societal/historical/cultural context going into this, other than what the cover said, was probably not the strongest move on my part. But Having no societal/historical/cultural context going into this, other than what the cover said, was probably not the strongest move on my part. But, it is a nice little repository of some memories of some Elders of the Wiradjuri Nation. Without greater context, though, I wasn't sure what to get out of it other than some vignettes of the lives of some people with similar experiences growing up. After reading some of the other reviews, I understand better some of the threads which tie these together; notably, the various (largely negative) affects of colonisation and the treatment Aboriginals got. This often resulted in retreats into the bush, or being shipped off to boarding schools (possibly similar to the forced boarding schools for Native Americans in the US?), a disconnect from their Wiradjuri heritage at a young age, only to find their way back to it later. There is definitely much more to this collection than meets the eye, and even though it is a relatively quick read (took me just over a half hour), the depths it touches are rich, varied, and have a lot to discover for those interested to follow the trails into the bush....more
Now that the City of New York has been born, our team is busy watching over not only the city, but their own lives. The Woman in White is still a t Now that the City of New York has been born, our team is busy watching over not only the city, but their own lives. The Woman in White is still a threat, and they will have to figure out how to unite if they hope to stand strong against her. Not only that, but they'll have to manage to convince the other born cities of how urgent it is to find a way to stop her and all she seeks to wreck on Earth. At the beginning I couldn't help but feel the various avatars of NYC were too caught up in their own problems, their own areas, and it was going to be difficult to get them all on the same page. The strength of the truths in this book, about how people act (have acted) in the US, the tides of political, social, racial, and classism and more were like small darts of brutal pain: easy enough to deal with one at a time, but you can see the wounds they're creating are much bigger than the part. I enjoyed seeing them come together and how they struggled to rally the older cities. I appreciated that one of the first ones, other than the youngest (Sao Paolo and Hong Kong), to come out to support them in her way was Paris - just like the French were one of the first to step up and help in the Revolutionary War, dare I make the connection? However I did feel the end was a little too neat, too easy dare I say - might as well have had a white bow on it. Robin Miles' work was superb, and I'm certain her flexibility, emotions, and tactfully-applied sound effects played no small role in keeping me engaged with the story. I also realize I've listened to a few books she has narrated by now, and I just might have to try out looking at a fuller list of what she has narrated to find other books I might be interested in which she has done. 4 stars for the story, 5 for the narration....more
Simi is honoring her deal with Olokun, keeping him company in the Land of the Dead and helping him with his duties. Yet she still misses the sun, a Simi is honoring her deal with Olokun, keeping him company in the Land of the Dead and helping him with his duties. Yet she still misses the sun, and the boy she left behind. When her fellow Mami Wata Folasade comes to her with grave news, it will mean breaking her promise to Olokun and throwing in with the trickster god who got her into this position. If she doesn't risk it, though, all of humanity will be destroyed. With the lead in that Simi would keep Olokun company in the Land of the Dead, I was expecting a sort of retelling of the myth of Persephone. However that was not the case, and instead the story went into its own direction. It felt as though it moved much quicker than the first book, with less need to build this world and more of an ability to move within it, which was enjoyable. However, I was disappointed we didn't get more on-page time with Esu, considering how important he is to, well, everything that happens. I also felt the threads of this second half of Simi's story were a little looser, and more creative license was taken (bordering on deus ex machina machinations). Now it could all very well be quite in line with Yoruba culture and religion/mythology, but some of it was a little too convenient in making rock-solid obstacles surmountable, and then the payoff of that surmounting wasn't even there as it went in a different direction, the direction which was more of an undercurrent. There’s something to be said to subverting the popular YA teen romance narrative, but this just didn’t quite seem to have enough meat behind the subversion. Overall while I liked the feel of this story, the atmosphere of it, it felt like the focus it had didn’t lead where it seemed it should have led. I actually missed comparing it to another tale as the first one was comparable to The Little Mermaid – I guess it makes it feel as though Simi’s story needed a set framework to build around, filled it out, and this book represents the parts of the story that grew beyond the framework – a little less prescribed, but still trying to capture some of the familiar frame below it.
Continuity Question: Esu...mouth shining with grease from the chicken he has already helped himself to. - page 95 - on page 94, Esu had reached for the beef and Simi felt 'a flash of annoyance that he is getting to eat what he nearly destroyed.' No mention of chicken - intentional?
Favorite Quote: I think of all my own memories, reclaimed and mine. To know where you came from holds so much power over how you feel about yourself. - page 120...more
Simidele is one of the Mami Wata – a mermaid created by the Yoruba orisa (deity) Yemoja to collect the souls of those lost traversing the ocean in Simidele is one of the Mami Wata – a mermaid created by the Yoruba orisa (deity) Yemoja to collect the souls of those lost traversing the ocean in the beginnings of the slave trade. When she finds a young man who is still alive, though, she takes him to land and safety. In so doing, she has broken the rules of her existence, and now she and the young man, Adekola, must journey across land and sea, encountering friend and foe, to beg the great god Olodumare’s forgiveness. A Little Mermaid retelling steeped in Yoruba mythology and 14th century African (Nigerian) culture, Bowen really succeeds at making a classic story more relatable to many more young people. I enjoyed how the framework may have been from The Little Mermaid, but the flesh of this story is wholly African. I came for a retelling, and stayed for the Yoruba/African elements. A dictionary and list of Yoruba deities/orisa would have been helpful, as I always like a good glossary for foreign words (even though many of them were either repeated throughout or the English translation was given shortly after) and especially of the Yoruba orisa. Sometimes (okay, a lot of the time) Western literature and storytelling forgets that there is far more than just Egyptian, Greek, and Roman mythology to draw from, so I always enjoy getting tastes of other mythologies. Since this is a retelling, there is limited room for the characters to grow into their own and diverge from what is expected of them. Yet, that doesn’t mean that Ms. Bowen was unable to be creative in how she interpreted, rearranged, and reimagined elements of The Little Mermaid’s story, which freshens the old tale. And naturally, the whole working in of Yoruba mythology, culture, and history goes a long way to getting Simidele’s story standing on its own.
Quote: "Now is not the time to be divided. Your feelings are because of your concern for each other. Both of you. [...] Let's think of a solution, not the problem. None of us prosper when we're divided." - page 155...more
It's very rare that I read (or listen to) poetry. I actually listened to this twice, but realized I didn't pay enough attention to it the first tim It's very rare that I read (or listen to) poetry. I actually listened to this twice, but realized I didn't pay enough attention to it the first time and I needed to listen to it again and actually pay it closer attention. That was when I not only knew about, but followed, the switching between snippets of news articles and the poems they inspired. Most if not all of the snippets come from the immediate times surrounding the 1919 race riots. The way they are interpreted into poems and the way the experiences are echoed in current events is striking. While poetry can rely heavily on the spoken word, I would have also liked to let my eyes linger on the words on the page, to see the structure of the snippets and poems, how the lines interact with each other, and how the visual experience supplements the listened experience. There were some powerful images, and nothing short of incredulousness at seeing how some things have changed so little in over one hundred years. Same problems, a barely different face....more
In this collection of essays from across the country, Jones and Hagopian seek to inform and educate. To inform about what people have seen on the g In this collection of essays from across the country, Jones and Hagopian seek to inform and educate. To inform about what people have seen on the ground regarding racism against Blacks, and to educate about alternative methods we can try to avoid even more police assumptions hurting the Black people they meet. One strange thing is how no matter where in the country the essay refers to, the struggle and methods and resistance program members tell about is consistent...and persistent. We have a long way to go, but this book lays out some of the proposal ideas behind this potential big switch in mindset. I'm making a more concerted effort this year to read books I purchased this year, this year, including some of the free books I get, such as this one in audio. It is a collection of essays around the Black Lives Matter at School initiative, and includes essays from around the country, from Seattle where it started to Chicago and California and beyond. Worth noting is that because it is a gathered collection, not a requested one, there is a lot of repetition of ideas, suggestions, and even the same examples used multiple times (one that stands out was the teenager who was pulled from class for a "random" and demeaning search of her belongings, and her hand sanitizer being taken away because she might "use it to get high".). It does indeed succeed at its mission to "succinctly [generalize] lessons from successful challenges to institutional racism that have been won through the Black Lives Matter at School movement." As such, it is quite encouraging and uplifting in showing how it is possible to make progress and have wins. However, if you are looking more for a how-to manual, it's not quite what you need. It shows which methods were used and how they worked (or didn't), but doesn't go into too much depth about how the methods were used, what individuals and groups did on the ground to make things happen and get the tenets actioned upon.
Highlights: Track 8: 2:49 1. End zero-tolerance discipline, and implement restorative justice 2. Hire more Black teachers 3. Mandate Black history/ethnic studies K-12
Track 23: 16:20 - FAQ behind Black Lives Matter...more
Lucky St. James isn’t feeling very lucky lately. Her grandmother Stella’s senility is only getting worse, her temp jobs are just that, temporary, Lucky St. James isn’t feeling very lucky lately. Her grandmother Stella’s senility is only getting worse, her temp jobs are just that, temporary, and to top it off, now they are going to lose their apartment to development and can’t afford a different one. Oh, and she has to figure out how to tell Stella that they have to leave one of the few things Stella remembers consistently. One day she crawls into a hidden tunnel in the building’s basement and finds a silver spoon engraved SALEM with a witch image. Little does she know the spoon – and she – is part of a much bigger picture, one with a very short time limit, an ancient and dangerous pursuer, and more than a little feminine witchy magic. This book is so much of what I like to see in strong female characters taking life by the reins and telling the patriarchy to shove it as they ride right over it. There is no stopping Lucky, or Stella, or Meena, or Wendy, or the Oracle, or any of the other witches in the nascent coven. Even when an old, powerful hunter is after them, they keep on going, because they have an important mission. If they don’t assemble the new coven, then society will continue as it has towards inevitable patriarchy-induced self-implosion. But if they do…if they do, well, it could be a whole new world of hope and feminism and life. With all the indigenous magic of various styles, the strong characters of each woman, and the road-trip across the US, this book is powerful, strong, and full of determination and hope for a better future.
I received a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. This has not affected the contents of my review or rating.
Favorite Quotes: "You can't keep everything safe all the time. You have to hide the important stuff you have, the things that make you you. Just put it all away. Keep it out of reach. If you hide the precious stuff, then no one can take it. No matter what they do." - page 51 of the ARC copy
Witches were never capitalists. We were the thing that stood in the way of capitalism, which is just the engine of the patriarchy, after all. Witches were not all killed by fire. We are the fire." – page 131of the ARC copy
"You have to think differently to see the real signature--humans as a part, not as central." - page 240
Magic that takes root and grows in a particular place ends up being part of that land. [...] The land. The land held magic like a giant sponge. It could hold it for centuries, and in isolation if need be. - page 281
"Mothers are the witches we know best but never acknowledge." -pg 371...more
Morgan has big plans for her life, but she can only activate them once she moves away from the little island and small town she calls home. Since h Morgan has big plans for her life, but she can only activate them once she moves away from the little island and small town she calls home. Since her parents’ divorce nothing has been the same at home: her brother is always upset, and even her best friends don’t really know her. But once she leaves the island, she’ll be free to be herself – to love who she wants, without worrying about what others think of her choices. Except one stormy night she falls off the cliff she watches the sea from, and a selkie name Keltie saves her from drowning. If she gives Keltie half a chance and opens her plans and her heart just a little, Keltie just might be able to save her from more than drowning. Morgan already knows how she feels about girls, but is too afraid to come out in her small town. It’s easier to hide who she is and go along with her friends, pretend she’s “normal” even if few things around her are still normal. Keltie has no such reservations, and is not afraid to show Morgan how she feels about her – even if she also has a secret she keeps from the one she cares about. This was a sweet coming out story, showing how it can be nerve-wracking to not only come out, but do it in a way you haven’t planned for, prepared yourself for. And yet, how worthwhile it is to embrace who you are, love who you want, and how much happier it can make you – just from the freedom of being able to be yourself. The art is also very gentle and warm, and really contributes to creating a safe atmosphere for Morgan, the story, and the reader. It also bemused me to occasionally hear a Scots-sounding accent out of Keltie (at least, it came across as Scottish to me, though maybe the intent was Irish – after all, selkies are from Irish folklore)....more
Maverick just wants to help his momma pay some bills and be able to go to college, his ticket out of falling too deep into the gang life with the K Maverick just wants to help his momma pay some bills and be able to go to college, his ticket out of falling too deep into the gang life with the King Lords that put his father in jail nine years before. That all changes when he finds out he’s a father and the mother, Aisha, leaves his son with him. Now Maverick has to provide for his three-month-old baby, get a job to pay for him, keep his grades up, and convince his girlfriend Lisa to forgive him. It could be so easy to do, if he started selling more than just weed for the gang, but he wants to go straight so his son doesn’t end up losing his father, too. But when tragedy strikes and the streets call out for blood, will he be able to prove he’s different and can be more of a man than what society expects of him? Hooo boy did this have me on an emotional rollercoaster! Life keeps throwing Maverick bad cards, one after another, and every time (even though I was rooting for him!), I couldn’t help but wonder if that would be the card to make him fold and go deep in with the King Lords gang. The story is emotional, and tough, and real—it really peels back the layers of just how hard it can be to climb out of the pit society wants you to stay in. It takes a hard look at the cycles of being on the streets and in a gang, and also the struggles of single teenage parenthood. Maverick has a lot of good influences who can help him in his life, but the delicate balance that they provide to the streets, gang, and drug-dealing is frequently put to the test. With every new curve ball and temptation to take the easy road, I could feel my concern and anxiety for him peak, hoping he would be able to pull through and out of the cycle. It’s been a while since a “regular fiction” book pulled me back and forth that much, and had me finding more and more excuses and times to listen to the book. Dion Graham does an excellent job narrating this book, and really getting the emotions from the page into his voice. He really brought the story, and Maverick, to life quite thoroughly....more
So clearly I’m behind on a few reviews and not always doing them in order, either, so here we go! I rather wish I hadn’t left this review so lon So clearly I’m behind on a few reviews and not always doing them in order, either, so here we go! I rather wish I hadn’t left this review so long, so it’ll be rather short. There were great themes of submission, love, loyalty, life, death, slavery, freedom, and family, to name a few. The long-game dance between Anyanwu and Doro and the stages it went through the more they got to know each other (she a healer, he a destroyer) was full of ups and downs and charged questions about life and the value of a life. Plus, given that neither of them can die, there is an interesting interplay between how the world changes around them and how they change (or not) with it. We saw the very different ways they “collected” people around them and the worth they ascribed to them – Anyanwu sought out to create a feeling of family, while Doro was more interested in breeding for (supernatural power) genetics. Anyanwu saw people as people with complex feelings and lives, while Doro saw them as animals to be bred for ideal traits. My earbuds were practically glued to my ears so I could listen to this, with Ms. Miles’ excellent narration and portrayal of the characters and their emotions. Between that and Butler’s prose, everything came to life easily (which is not always the case for me and audiobooks). I can definitely see reading more of this series, either in audiobook format or paperback. I may not have pulled many quotes from this one, but that is at least in part because I was so absorbed by the story.
Quote:
But she had formed the habit of submission. In her love for Isaac and for her children, and in her fear of death, especially of the kind of death Doro would inflict, she had given in to him again and again. Habits were difficult to break. The habit of living, the habit of fear, even the habit of love. – Chapter 10, 6:0x...more
I picked this ebook book up more or less on a whim from the list of suggested titles for this month’s Cookies & Comics – probably because it looked I picked this ebook book up more or less on a whim from the list of suggested titles for this month’s Cookies & Comics – probably because it looked the most fantastical and easy to get through hoopla. It is the first collected volume of the story of Iyanu, the “forest girl” who has no past she can remember (and a strange magical power) before being adopted by the Agoni, Olori. Olori is also the only one capable of cleansing the cursed animals so they neither attack humans nor poison them with their meat. For being the last of the Agoni, Olori is exiled to live in the forest contained in the outer walls of the city of Elu. Elu, where mankind find safety from the cursed animals beyond but not from the taint of entitlement, superiority, and classism within. Elu, where the new elected monarch listens only to one advisor, and will not even hear the advice of his brother, the appointed foreign minister, who seeks to better the lives of the poor and downtrodden workers in the city. When the relative seclusion and security that Iyanu lives in with Olori is no more, she finds herself alone in a hostile world with powers she barely understands, let alone has any control over. Books like this remind me how un-diverse my reading can be – I want to do better at seeking out authors from different countries, with different backgrounds, and writing stories inspired by different traditions. In this case, Okupe is from Nigera, and pulls from Yoruba traditions and history. In between chapters he offers a short paragraph to flesh out more of Iyanu’s world, which is interesting in addition to what is going on within Elu and the world he has created. I do think the Goodreads description is a bit misleading, though – Iyanu does seem to have some past experiences with her power, even if she doesn’t understand it fully yet. The coloring of the story is quite beautiful, though I did have some trouble differentiating people’s faces – they are frequently quite similar in shape and other details. It took a few double-takes at times to realize that two people were different people (when I was looking at the faces instead of the clothing). The story itself is interesting, and I like how the plot and world are being built up and out. I just wish the next volume was out already, so I could jump right into the next one!
Favorite quotes: The words of others are only as powerful as we let them be. What truly matters is how you see yourself, my child. – page 17
For wisdom is not a respecter of age. It gives freely to those who seek it out. – page 82...more
Another read for my Cookies & Comics book club tonight – it being February and Black History month, all the options were by Black authors/artists a �� Another read for my Cookies & Comics book club tonight – it being February and Black History month, all the options were by Black authors/artists and Black stories. While I had already read a fantasy one, I decided to pick up March: Volume One to have a little non-fiction/memoir for once. It opens with John Lewis in his office, and some young visitors coming to see him. They notice all the chickens in his office, and he explains what they mean to him. This part almost could have lost me, with its seemingly tangential relationship with John Lewis’ history in the Civil Rights Movement. However, the inclusion of it does make sense, and helps frame and lead into how and why Lewis became a preacher, and how that path led him to be an activist with the Civil Rights Movement. A path which does not shy away from the experiences he had, and the verbal and physical abuse he and other activists suffered during their peaceful sit-ins, marches, and more. As we moved into his activities with the movement, the story felt much more real and even visceral, through the words and images on the page. It’s not an easy read, but definitely an important one. I would say it is geared towards more of a mature child reader, whether they be middle grade or older, though with the former it would definitely benefit from adult guidance. The topics are not light, and they do not water down the harsh events that John Lewis and so many other Civil Rights activists lived. Events which continue, in one form or another, even today. We have come far from 60 years ago, but we still have much further to go. On a more personal note, on a visit with my gramps not too long ago, he expressed a negative reaction to John Lewis. I didn’t have the chance to inquire as to what exactly he had against Lewis, why he didn’t like him, but I wonder if reading this book/series might be something that can help someone at least respect Lewis for all that he did and accomplished, despite the odds and adversity....more
Hope Nicholson here has edited quite the collection of short stories and vignettes in comic form by numerous Indigenous authors and artists of Nor Hope Nicholson here has edited quite the collection of short stories and vignettes in comic form by numerous Indigenous authors and artists of North America. They take their own oral traditions and reimagine them in fantastic and science fiction ways, often putting a modern twist into a traditional tale which still honors the heart of the traditional story. With high-quality art and brief yet very insightful introductions to each new tale, this is a strong first installment in the anthology series. I found the short blurbs introducing each comic extremely informative, as I am not very familiar with many Indigenous tales and stories. They really helped frame the short story or vignette and shed light on what I was supposed to understand from it, which was especially helpful for the vignettes. Even so, some of the vignettes had me still wondering at the end what I was missing, such as “Siku” by Tony Romito – so they could have been a little bit longer, or the blurb a little more detailed in making that final connection which can help those like me with little knowledge of the story style understand it as the author/artist intended. The amount of heart and work which went into telling each of these stories is incredible, with stunning results. The variety of mediums and art styles works well in this collection, as each one does a stand-out job for portraying its own story. I would definitely be willing to read the next two anthology collections. ...more
Loading...
