![]() Though McFadden writes candidly about the treacherous hold of addiction, the power of her story is lessened by wooden dialogue and hazy characterizations. This is not a story of easy redemption Kenzie, unlike the rest of her family, escapes because of her strength, courage, and a touch of luck. ![]() Still, as Kenzie stares at her father’s desiccated body in the hospital, she feels an unwanted tug of forgiveness and, through the kind intervention of a nurse, tries to leave her past behind. Temporary respite came with Grandmother Mable, but Delia, “afraid to stay, but more afraid to go,” always returned home with her children. The fights grew bloodier as Delia started drinking and Kenzie and Malcolm began to fight back. Her father, Hy-Lo, beat Delia if the dishes weren’t done, trained Kenzie to buy his vodka, and whipped his children with belts. She finds herself at her father’s deathbed and recalls all the drunken abuse that she her brother, Malcolm and Delia endured. At 34, Kenzie Lowe is a recovering alcoholic who lives with her mother, Delia, in a Brooklyn housing project. ![]() ![]() ![]() McFadden’s reissued second novel takes an unflinching look at the corrosive nature of alcoholism. This in addition to eight other critically acclaimed novels including Sugar, Loving Donovan, Gathering of Waters (a New York Times Editors’ Choice and one of the 100 Notable Books of 2012), Glorious, which was featured in O, The Oprah Magazine and was a finalist for the NAACP Image Award. ![]()
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