Hello bookish people!
I received this book as an ARC from the publisher in return for an honest review. I was super excited to read this because it is written by a woman of color by a woman of color and it’s a collection of short stories. Those who follow this blog may know that I have been meaning to get in some more short reads lately. Anywho, this collection is by Kali Fajardo-Anstine and tells of very different women, women who are different ages, living in different time periods, living in different places, women who have grown up wih varying circumstances. All these differences and yet a clear vein runs throughout each narrative: identity and what that means.
The characters and scenarios are so real that if I hadn’t known different I would’ve thought this was a collection of nonfiction. Each of the protagonists has a backstory, a past they have to overcome or deal with in the present. Some of the women choose to change, others choose to harden themselves, others choose to ignore the present in favor of a more simplistic past memory.
Overall Score: 5⭐
You’re probably wondering if I had a favorite story out of the eleven Fajardo-Anstine gives us. And the answer is yes. My favorite was “Sisters,” which you can probably guess tells the story of two sisters who could’t be more different. Doty is quiet and introspective while her sister Tina is rambuctuuous and thinks that marriage to a white man is the only way to a better life. Doty is blind at the beginning of the story and as we figure out how her sight was stolen from her we come to learn that sometimes it is best to be content being yourself.
Are there any short story collections you think I should take a look at? If so, let me know in the comments! Please share this review with another bookish person and if you’ve had the chance to grab a copy of Sabrina & Corina, what did you think about it?
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Happy reading,
Chyina