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A review by lanidacey
The Book of Harlan by Bernice L. McFadden
3.0
I wavered between giving this book two stars or three stars. It's wasn't terrible, but it didn't blow me away as I expected. Harlan has a deeply engrossing (and at times, upsetting) life story, but I feel like the prose and the novel's structure kept me from relating to the characters. At its best, I felt as if I was reading a textbook chapter rather than a novel, and at its worst, it felt like a chore. I had similar problems with [b:A Kind of Freedom|33946142|A Kind of Freedom|Margaret Wilkerson Sexton|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1492015397s/33946142.jpg|54915725]; there's just too much happening in too few pages. I did appreciate the highlights of U.S. history that were included, however it did feel a bit like black Forrest Gump.
I did enjoy much of the novel after Harlan's return from Germany, as the story seemed to take its time to explore the impact that experience on Harlan and his family. Other plot lines didn't get such careful treatment: Gwen and the twins' story seemed to be dropped completely. And Lizard, one of my favorite characters, also was introduced and removed from the story way too cleanly.
The entire sixth part was a wild ride.
Overall, an okay read, just not one I feel compelled to return to.
I did enjoy much of the novel after Harlan's return from Germany, as the story seemed to take its time to explore the impact that experience on Harlan and his family. Other plot lines didn't get such careful treatment: Gwen and the twins' story seemed to be dropped completely. And Lizard, one of my favorite characters, also was introduced and removed from the story way too cleanly.
The entire sixth part was a wild ride.
Overall, an okay read, just not one I feel compelled to return to.