Name: A Kind of Freedom
Rating: 4.428571428571429 (7 reviews)
ISBN: 9781619029224

Margaret Wilkerson Sexton

A moving tale of love and the consequences of American racial disparity spanning three generations of a New Orleans family

A Novel

A Kind of Freedom

Jose Sbuck

The story takes place in New Orleans, in three different time periods. First, in the mid 1940s when "negroes" are still a lower caste. Second, in the mid 1980s, during the height of the crack epidemic. Third, in the 2010, after Katrina devastated the city. The protagonist for each time period are members of the same family. One of them is male, other two are female, and the author does a good job in all cases. The book is an interesting read, and plausibly describes life in New Orleans in different times: the social norms, food, life prospects and work. In terms of food, yes, people eat gumbo and red beans and rice in all three time periods. <blockquote>It was true that Jackie felt overwhelmed - reading to the baby at night, making sure she stared at him while she spoke so he could see her lips moving, choosing the stroller, the car seat, the pediatrician. Making every goddamn single decision alone sucked every drop of energy out of her core.</blockquote> After a great description of flow state on a basketball court: <blockquote>The officer tapped again, this time with more force, and T.C. just waited for a miracle to kick in, for that magic that had lit up his hear on that basketball court to drive him away from there.</blockquote>

A Kind of Freedom A Novel

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