In Bois Sauvage, Misissippi, a rough, rural town in the heart of the south, an African American family endures, both individually and as a collective unit. Esch, a teenager and the only girl of a male dominated household including her father and three brothers, tells the story of her family and the days leading up to Hurricane Katrina.
Esch finds herself in a precarious position; she suspects she’s pregnant and is working to contain her secret by any means possible. She struggles with coming to terms with the hopeless pining she experiences for the baby’s father and what it means to endure the deepest of rejections. Somewhat ironically, her brother Skeetah’s female pit bull, China, has just given birth to her first litter of puppies. For the family, the birth of this litter symbolizes opportunity; these puppies have been bred for fighting and will sell for a decent price in the dog fighting network.
Skeetah is supremely dedicated to China. He is father, brother, lover and fierce protector of her. Above all else, he places China’s wellbeing at the forefront of his mind; at times even above his family. Skeetah takes tremendous risks to protect his beloved dog. Risks that only the greatest feelings of love could invoke.
Over the twelve days the reader follows this family and their story of survival during an environmental disaster of epic proportions, it becomes unmistakably clear what people are capable of overcoming, even at the darkest of moments.
This is one of the books I’ve selected for the August Reading Challenge, as it was recommended by a friend. I will be 100% honest; I initially had ZERO desire to read this book. When I read that dog fighting was a major theme of this story, I was immediately turned off. People dying? Ah, it’s whatevs. But dogs? Oh no, that’s a hard pass. However, I read Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward and fell in love with her writing style. There is a classic, lyrical quality to her story telling ability that can make the most heartbreaking of books indescribably beautiful. Plus, this was a book recommended to me by my friend Laura, who is another book connoisseur and devoted dachshund mama, so I had no choice but to give it a read.
Yes, there is a dog fighting scene in the book and yes, it was still repulsive to me. But the paradox of Skeetah’s unmistakable love for China and his ability to expose her to the pain and potential mortal danger of dog fighting was so complex. In an interview with The Paris Review, which you can find here, Ward shares her own family’s experience with dog fighting when she was growing up in Mississippi. Though her explanation doesn’t make dog fighting any less horrifying, it does lend a sense of realism to Skeetah’s complicated relationship with China and a clarification into the mindset of those who participate in these illegal practices.
Ultimately, this was beautifully written. Heartbreaking, mind boggling in places, but so down to Earth and real. Even if you’re like me and detest animal cruelty, I would challenge you to read this. 5 stars.
If this sounds like a read you would like, you can access it here:
Another book by Jasmyn Ward, which I absolutely loved and highly recommend is Sing, Unburied, Sing. You can get your copy here: