Jacqueline Woodson never disappoints. This book (her latest?) book was exceptionally skillful at communicating the life experiences of not only individuals but the heritage of whole communities of "people of color" or different ethnic background in contrast to the larger, empowered community. It was at times enlightening, overwhelming, and amazing. Woodson was open and frank in her depiction of various characters and their motivations in life; I could not relate to some of them because of my different experiences and culture but I was enabled to understand them better, rather than stand apart from them in criticism.

Edmonds library display during June 2020

I'm an unapologetic genre fiction reader, so literary books with meandering character studies in place of plot are not quite my jam. That said, I enjoyed the characters and the linking of the trauma of the Tulsa race riots with that of 9/11, and I think this would make a compelling book group read, especially clocking in at just under 200 pages for busy months when reading time is at a premium.

This beautiful text is about a mother who doesn`t want to be one, a child who yearns for a mother, and parents who hope for a different life. Alternating between five voices Red at the Bone tells a tale of a family in the past and present reflecting on where they came from and how they evolve.

Hopefully when you pick this book up you have time to devour it one day because it will consume you. The words, images, and stories Jacqueline Woodson created will leave you coming back for more.

March 2020

A book about life. About lives. About love and loss and success and regret and family. Captured beautifully in a slim series of meditations by one family about who they are, apart and together. It is life.

Compelling historical fiction in vivid storytelling and beautifully shared memories from three generations of an African American family. This is my first time reading Jacqueline Woodson, but now I'm compelled to revel in all her writing as soon as possible!
Thanks to Ian for this recommendation!

I read this book in a day and couldn’t put it down. Fantastic work well worth the read! I loved getting to know every character at different time points. The format reminded me of “Normal People” by Sally Rooney - however, “Red at the Bone” was 100% more digestible and enjoyable. I have to admit there were times when I started getting confused on who was who during dialogue, but I eventually pieced it together.

An amazing, beautifully written book about a multigenerational family. I loved it.

Found this book difficult to follow. Such an excellent premise, but I didn’t find it well written. Truthfully, it was confusing with the going back and forth in time,