Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Length: 256 pages
Published: 2017
I learned about A Kind of Freedom by Margaret Wilkerson Sexton from my online book club - Literary Fiction by People of Color. I was able to secure a copy from my local Fort Worth Library via digital loan. I jumped right into the story and finished it about 36 hours later.
A Kind of Freedom is a saga told through three generations. Each section vacillates between pre-Civil Rights Movement, the late 1980s, and right after Hurricane Katrina. Evelyn is born of a doctor and homemaker. She and her sister Ruby appear to have all of the amenities that not many Black people enjoyed during the 1940s. But as it often happens, some life choices drastically changed the direction of Evelyn's life, resulting in societal tragedies for her daughter, Jackie, and also Evelyn's grandson T.C.
Overall I found this story very intriguing. I literally couldn't put the book down. But I also found it extremely depressing. There are a lot of conflicts in this novel. Some of them include mass incarceration, drug abuse, poverty, and inequality. My hope was there would be some ray of sunshine for this family. I wanted each character to pull him- or herself out of their situation. However, like real life, that can be a lot easier said than done. The way Sexton presents this family is very real, very raw. Her writing is poignant. I think she is an author to keep my eye on.
I finished the book still thinking about the characters. I do wish the author could have closed up a few loose ends for me, specifically - What happened to Terry?
Recommendation: This is a good read for someone who would like to take a peek into the life of an African American family. But remember, this is simply one person's perspective, and it cannot be generalized to a whole race of people.
Regardless of whether I purchase a book, borrow a book, or receive a book in exchange for review, my ultimate goal is to be honest, fair, and constructive. I hope you've found this review helpful.
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