book review: Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward
The backstory: Jesmyn West's second novel Salvage the Bones is a finalist for the 2011 National Book Award and a finalist for the 2012 Dayton Literary Peace Prize . The basics: Salvage the Bones is the story of Esch, a pregnant fourteen-year-old girl in New Orleans in the days leading up to Hurricane Katrina. Since her mother died, Esch helps care for her alcoholic father and three brothers. Much of the action also focuses on China, the pet pit bull who gives birth as the novel opens. My thoughts: When the National Book Award finalists were first announced , I had heard the most about Salvage the Bones (of the three I had not read.) Two bloggers whose opinions I trust, Audra at Unabridged Chick and Heather at Raging Bibliomania , liked it but found the subject matter quite difficult. As someone who lacks an affinity for dogs and is downright afraid of aggressive dogs, I was curious how the focus on pit bull fighting would work for me. In short: I...