Booksology What struck me most about reading this novel was the revelation that friendship is essential to our resilience. By “it” we see these four women go through, and by “it” I mean the vividly relatable confusion and anticipation that awaits us in adulthood and middle age. I mean, I’ll never know what it’s like to go on a big trip with a parental figure to help me through my final journey, and then lose my sister because of it, but I know what it’s like to rely on friends when your family can’t or won’t help you through difficult times. Many of us know what it’s like to grieve a living person, to ultimately risk everything to get a divorce, to struggle at work or in love. As an Angeleno and a black woman, there were scenes that felt so close to me, as if I were standing with both feet on the page.
Most of all, Fleurnoy’s kindness and compassion in shaping the lives of these flawed, talented, and beautiful women gave this book a huge heartbeat and gave me a story about black women and friendship that I never knew I needed. You can create a story that includes trauma and doesn’t shy away from race and racism, but it’s serious, funny, and layered with all the weight you tend to give literary fiction in a story that centers a black woman. Reading this book absolutely brought me to tears and it’s a love that will stay with me. we need more books like this wilderness.
What have you been reading lately? Let’s chat in the comments!
