Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward          

 I could not finish this dramatically downbeat book about a poor rural family on the eve of Hurricane Katrina, but my book club’s thoughtful discussion of this National Book Award-winning novel made me rethink my decision.  (I was the only member who did not finish the book.)

There is no doubt that Jesmyn Ward is a gifted writer, as evidenced by the fact that I experienced the beleaguered Batiste family’s misery so strongly.  Her prose is polished, and the plot pulls you along with a I’ve–got-a-bad-feeling-about-this relentlessness.   There is a hint of Faulkner lurking about the pages too, not necessarily a bad thing.

I cannot promise that I’ll pick this book up again, given how many books are already stacked on my bedside table (& floor & bureau). But if your book club is looking for a meaty conversation, I recommend it.

For a deeper understanding, buy or borrow the edition that includes the Q&A with the author and the Reading Group Guide.