Swift River

I found this a shocking reminder of black lives in a white community in the USA. The mother is white and the father black, and they have a mixed daughter. The issues that she faces and hides from her parents are distressing for the reader and bewildering for the child, who obviously increasingly realises their significance as time passes. The father and daughter are there only non white members of the community and are also coping with poverty.
This story seems to be a reminder of the race and poverty issues still reported in small town America. As the family faces more problems the daughter tries to protect her mother and everything becomes more complicated.
The story is really sad, recognising that long standing issues are still very much present with little sign of progress.

I enjoyed this book despite the fact that the essential tale told was not very pleasant, but sadly true in a lot of parts of the world, essentially about poor black people trying to overcome all of the adversity that they met.
The tale did not have the style of James Everett but was nevertheless absorbing.
For me this was a story that lost momentum due to the present day trend of switching between different parts of the story.
Indeed the narrative flow was spoilt by the apparent need to cover all of the requirements of modern day publishing, when a narrower, punchier narrative, that would have been achieved by concentrating on the main storyline, would have enhanced the book.
My thanks to the author for the hours of enjoyment that the book has brought me, I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Diamond is a young woman growing up in a predominantly white area, with a white mother and black father. The book does go backwards to 1915 and her black relatives and how racist people where. Although Diamond in the 1970/80's realises nothing much has changed. The story describes her lifes ups and down.
I did find it a little confusing when the story flips backwards and foreword in time but I eventually got quite engrossed in her story.

I went into this book not knowing what to expect but came out having read a beautiful written and very moving story. The main character is very lovable, and the way her living and family situation is described was exceptional.

The story depicts not only Diamond’s battle with racism and prejudice in her little town of Swift River, but also that of her female ancestors in the form of letters from the past. I think the shift to the past of the protagonist is perfectly used to present the story-line of love and loss, and the mix of emoltionaland mental struggles that come with it.

At the start I found it a bit confusing to grasp the plot and the past/present slips - hence the lower marking - but later in the book it was something I was really looking forward to.

I think it is not only a moving story but one that is worth reading to see the world from a different perspective.

The things I really liked about the book were Diamond herself., (my heart went out to her), her friendship with Shelly, the correspondence with the paternal aunt she had never met, and the history of the town and why Diamond is the only person of colour living there.
It wasn’t the easiest book to read, but at its heart is a coming of age story about a girl who needs to understand her history amd her heritage, and to find her place in the world. It is a reminder than discrimination and racism is likely still an issue, even in a town in the North Eastern USA.