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A review by arisbookcorner
Some Soul to Keep by J. California Cooper
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
"But I didn't want to live again like he could afford! I wanted what <i>I</i>could afford! Then, on the other hand, I could afford him...for me. And wasn't that what I had worked for? For me?" ('About Love and Money', 149)
"Her face was an old face, not from lack of innocence but a lack of carefree childhood and that special joy of living, given almost alone, to children." ('Sisters of the Rain', 2)
SOME SOUL TO KEEP is a quiet, didactic collection of five short stories that share similar themes and story structure about southern Black women. Cooper's voice is always distinctive but this collection reminded me why I needed to take a break from trying to read her entire body of work in one year, her stories had started to all sound the same to me. This collection is a mix of bitter and sweet, most of the stories starting off with a young Black girl suffering from a tremendous loss and eventually finding her way in the world. These almost read as novellas so it makes sense that Cooper next decides to publish a novel as it feels like that's what she's working up to, these stories are more mid length than short. The stories emphasize the importance of independence, love, education and eventual comeuppance for those who've done you wrong. They're told in Cooper's signature folksy and all knowing style. There's some valuable lessons within and some great one liners that made me laugh. Read these to appreciate Cooper's voice and her contributions to the short story format and Black literature.
"Her face was an old face, not from lack of innocence but a lack of carefree childhood and that special joy of living, given almost alone, to children." ('Sisters of the Rain', 2)
SOME SOUL TO KEEP is a quiet, didactic collection of five short stories that share similar themes and story structure about southern Black women. Cooper's voice is always distinctive but this collection reminded me why I needed to take a break from trying to read her entire body of work in one year, her stories had started to all sound the same to me. This collection is a mix of bitter and sweet, most of the stories starting off with a young Black girl suffering from a tremendous loss and eventually finding her way in the world. These almost read as novellas so it makes sense that Cooper next decides to publish a novel as it feels like that's what she's working up to, these stories are more mid length than short. The stories emphasize the importance of independence, love, education and eventual comeuppance for those who've done you wrong. They're told in Cooper's signature folksy and all knowing style. There's some valuable lessons within and some great one liners that made me laugh. Read these to appreciate Cooper's voice and her contributions to the short story format and Black literature.