WINNER OF THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD 2011A hurricane is building over the Gulf of Mexico, threatening the coastal town of Bois Sauvage, Mississippi, and Esch's father is growing concerned. He's a hard drinker, largely absent, and it isn't often he worries about the family. Esch and her three brothers are stocking up on food, but there isn't much to save. Lately, Esch can't keep down what food she gets; at fifteen, she has just realised that she's pregnant. Her brother Skeetah is sneaking scraps for his prized pit bull's new litter, dying one by one. Meanwhile, brothers Randall and Junior try to stake their claim in a family long on child's play and short on parenting. As the twelve days that make up the novel's framework yield to a dramatic conclusion, this unforgettable family - motherless children sacrificing for one another as they can, protecting and nurturing where love is scarce - pulls itself up to face another day.

Reviews

On Sep 13 2011, West of Eden Books said:

One of the best books I've read recently this story takes place before, during and after Hurricane Katrina.It opens with the birth of China the pitbull's puppies and, through the eyes of Esch, the 12-year-old daughter of the family, it spins a story of love, poverty, trust and hardship. Esch's family consists of all men. Her brother Skeetah, who owns, tends and nearly worships China, Randall, the oldest, a budding basketball star who takes care of the family when the father is too drunk to do so, and Junior is the smallest of the boys, by turns confused and hurt by life. China herself,is a main character and the money her puppies could bring would fulfill a dream for at least one family member.The lead-up to the hurricane is desultory, she is a vague threat that no one seems to take too seriously. When she hits, she is terrifying and we're swept along in the fear and horror of her rage. Afterward, we wander the coast with her characters, awed and confused by the scale of the destruction. "There is a house sitting in the middle of the road, facing us, like it guards the secrets we will find farther in."The prose is fluid and lovely even poetic at times. Read this book- a remarkable, well-written and touching story.

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Details

Bookseller: Magers and Quinn Booksellers (US)
Bookseller's Inventory #: 988754
Title: SALVAGE THE BONES
Author: WARD, JESMYN
Book Condition: Used - Very Good
Binding: Paperback
ISBN 10: 1608196267
ISBN 13: 9781608196265
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA
Place of Publication: New York
This edition first published: 2012-04

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