Don't Cry for Me by Daniel Black
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Blurb (on back of book): A Black father makes amends with his gay son through letters written on his deathbed in this wise and penetrating novel of empathy and forgiveness, for fans of Ta-Nehisi Coates, Robert Jones Jr. and Alice Walker.
As Jacob lies dying, he begins to write a letter to his only son, Isaac. They have not met or spoken in many years, and there are things that Isaac must know. Stories about his ancestral legacy in rural Arkansas that extend back to slavery. Secrets from Jacob's tumultuous relationship with Isaac's mother and the shame he carries from the dissolution of their family. Tragedies that informed Jacob's role as a father and his reaction to Isaac's being gay.
But most of all, Jacob must share with Isaac the unspoken truths that reside in his heart. He must give voice to the trauma that Isaac has inherited. And he must create a space for the two to find peace.
With piercing insight and profound empathy, acclaimed author Daniel Black illuminates the lived experiences of Black fathers and queer sons, offering an authentic and ultimately hopeful portrait of reckoning and reconciliation. Spare as it is sweeping, poetic as it is compulsively readable, Don't Cry for Me is a monumental novel about one family grappling with love's hard edges and the unexpected places where hope and healing take flight.
MY OPINION: ****
I got this for Book of the Month a few months ago but I haven't actually read basically any of the books I've received from those subscription boxes. However, when I went home for Thanksgiving and saw it sitting on my shelf, I realized I just had to start at least one.
I enjoyed this book. It's a very open, honest, and raw story of a dying father's last words to his gay son who he never fully connected with or understood throughout their lives. It highlights a person who may be flawed and has done "bad things" but who has a character far deeper than being a "bad person." It was an interesting perspective to read from, as opposed to his son's view of his father and the lack of acceptance from his parents for his identity.
I feel like oftentimes, it can be easy to force people into boxes based on their beliefs and then associate them with certain traits, both positive and negative. In the case of this book's narrator, it would be easy to antagonize him for his "homophobia" and abuse towards his son. However, as we see in this book, he has far deeper entrenched beliefs that are based around how he grew up and who raised him that have allowed him to form these opinions, however unfair they are. He is not trying to excuse himself, which I gave him a props up for. Instead, he is just trying to tell the whole truth to apologize and attempt to explain to his son why their relationship was the way it was.
It's also interesting to read from an older person's perspective. Maybe it's just the books I read but I often don't see a lot of literature from the elderly generation's POV. Especially because this narrator is a Black person, we get to see the intersection of age, race, and class to better understand his character and how his beliefs were formed. I really enjoyed this unique story and getting to know people from different perspectives as mine.
I'm sure this is fiction but the way it was written felt a lot as if the writer had drawn upon some of his own experiences to better write this book. It felt deeply personal and heartfelt and the stories and characters felt very realistic.
You're definitely going to feel emotional reading this book. It's told very openly and it feels as if he didn't hold back. The narrator pours his heart and soul into these letters, and rightfully so since they are the last thing he will ever write and the last words he will ever be able to say to his son. I loved this book and I'd highly recommend it to anyone looking for something more emotional and sentimental to read that also explores queer issues.
Main Character: Father
Sidekick(s): Family, friends
Villain(s): Misunderstandings, abuse, homophobia, etc
Realistic Fiction Elements: This book was very real to life.
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