Esch is a 14 year old living with her father and brothers in Bois Sauvage, Mississippi.  The live in a dilapidated house and Hurricane Katrina is going to strike in a few days.  Her mother died giving birth to Esch’s youngest brother and Esch is raising him as best she can because her father is an alcoholic and not around much.
Esch has to deal with a lot of things a 14 year old shouldn’t have to deal with including becoming pregnant.  She hides the pregnancy but one of her brothers, Randall  figures it out.  Her oldest brother Skeetah fights his pit bull and she just had a litter of pups that he is struggling to keep alive to sell.  Though he fight’s her, is evident that he loves her.  Meanwhile, Esch’s father is home and trying to get their house ready for the hurricane but gets hurt badly while doing it.

This book takes place over the span of twelve days, 10 leading up to Hurricane Katrina.  It shows the brutality of poverty in rural Mississippi.  It is also about the love of one family who come together during crisis.  This is Jesmyn Wards first novel but is written in near perfect pitch.  The reader comes to care for the family despite their many flaws.  Their courage is a testament to the reason humans fight to survive.  This is a brutal yet beautiful first novel.  I can hardly wait to read more by Jesmyn Ward!

5/5

About Jesmyn Ward: 

Jesmyn Ward is a former Stegner Fellow (Stanford University), and the Grisham Writer in Residence at the University of Mississippi. She is an assistant professor of Creative Writing at the University of South Alabama.

Her work has appeared in BOMB, A Public Space and The Oxford American.

I received the advance readers copy of this book at the Book Expo in New York City in May, 2011.  Thanks to TLC Book Tours for allowing me to take part in the tour.  Please check out the other tour stops for more reviews and giveaways of this amazing book, here.

Now for the giveaway:

Thanks to TLC Book Tours and Jesmyn Ward, I am giving away one copy of Salvage the Bones.  Believe me, you need to read this book!
To Enter:
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That’s 36 or more possible entries! Sorry, this giveaway is only open to the U.S and Canada.
The winner’s mailing address: No P.O. Boxes
Only one entry per household/IP address
Winners will be subject to the one copy per household rule, which means that if you win the same title in two or more contests, you will receive only one copy of the book.
This giveaway will end on Tuesday, September 20th, 11:59 P.M. E.S.T. The winners will be notified by email. Winners must respond within TWO days or will be disqualified.


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