A raw and powerful look at family, relationships, motherhood, feminism, Blackness, and much, much more. Don't let this book's length fool you, it is a whopper with lots to unpack.

Modern Mrs Darcy

There's a common saying, "Good things come in small packages,” and RED AT THE BONE proves it. Author Jacqueline Woodson packs a lot in this multi-generational family drama. The characters seem all too real, raw, and authentic. Their stories are presented in a series of intimate snapshots over time. Warning: This book contains strong language and themes surrounding class, race, teen pregnancy, sexuality, drug use, history, and death. RED AT THE BONE isn’t what I typically read, but I’m so glad I did. Woodson’s beautiful minimalist prose is the perfect vehicle for this remarkable novel.

I found this book to be really strange. It kept flipping perspectives from different family members and timelines and I found it hard to follow. I think if it had said who was speaking and if it had followed a more linear timeline it would have been better. I don't understand the point behind it, why we had to get each person's view of different events, and even at the end I didn't feel there was any sort of conclusion.

A slim volume set in Brooklyn in 2001. It tells the story of a middle class family whose daughter, at age 15, has a baby with a boy from a poor family. The story is told from the perspective of each of the main characters. Quite well done

If I didn’t read 2 other books in between this, this book probably would have gotten 5 stars.

I am /in loooove/ with the characters. They are all heart. I read the last 40% of the book in one sitting and damn near cried.
Somehow, I relate to all the characters. I have nothing in common with them outside of gender, living in America, and being a daughter—yet, I feel each of their hearts heavily in this short book.

Definitely buying this book and will reread countless times throughout my life.

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.