We Hope for Better Things from Erin Bartels is a wonderful debut and a moving story about family as well as society.
I found the beginning a little slow for me but not to the point of making me think about stopping. More like just wanting to get through the set-up a little faster. That said, it was probably good that it proceeded slowly and methodically so I could get the names and time frames clear in my mind. So if you start the book and feel it is a little slow, keep going, you will be rewarded.
Race, class, and familial ties are front and center in this book. If a sentence or scene rubs you the wrong way keep going and make sure both that you understood it correctly and that it doesn't represent something that the character might learn from later. One reader both grossly misread an early scene (as in even the part quoted does not represent what she claimed it did, she misuses a term that is likely just cliche-talk for her) and, because she did not finish the book, judges the entirety of the book on her misreading of a paragraph. Don't make this freshman mistake, be open-minded and give the book and the characters a chance.
If you enjoy historical fiction, especially from the not too distant past and that reverberates for contemporary society, you will enjoy this novel. If you particularly like historical novels that use major historical events as a jumping off point and a bit of a framing device, this will definitely work for you. There will likely be some uncomfortable scenes, as most good books that address societal issues have. These are ideal for thinking about why you feel as you do and, more broadly, how you feel about the issue.
I found the beginning a little slow for me but not to the point of making me think about stopping. More like just wanting to get through the set-up a little faster. That said, it was probably good that it proceeded slowly and methodically so I could get the names and time frames clear in my mind. So if you start the book and feel it is a little slow, keep going, you will be rewarded.
Race, class, and familial ties are front and center in this book. If a sentence or scene rubs you the wrong way keep going and make sure both that you understood it correctly and that it doesn't represent something that the character might learn from later. One reader both grossly misread an early scene (as in even the part quoted does not represent what she claimed it did, she misuses a term that is likely just cliche-talk for her) and, because she did not finish the book, judges the entirety of the book on her misreading of a paragraph. Don't make this freshman mistake, be open-minded and give the book and the characters a chance.
If you enjoy historical fiction, especially from the not too distant past and that reverberates for contemporary society, you will enjoy this novel. If you particularly like historical novels that use major historical events as a jumping off point and a bit of a framing device, this will definitely work for you. There will likely be some uncomfortable scenes, as most good books that address societal issues have. These are ideal for thinking about why you feel as you do and, more broadly, how you feel about the issue.