Enjoy Red Weather Prepared By Janet McAdams Available As Publication
excited to teach this book, because it covers so much interesting and overlooked historythe forced sterilization of Native women, the American Indian Movement and political radicalism, U.
S. interference in Central American wars, "racial passing," domestic violence, and more, And for all that dark difficult history, it's a great read, with a complicated, compelling protagonist and a cast of mysterious characters.
I admire Janet McAdams so much, for writing a story that hasn't already been toldexactly what you want from great fiction.
The book was a/. The writing was really great and creative, but the storyline got very pointless as the protagonist did not really give more insight on her mission.
I wish the book would have dived deeper into the emotional abuse from her ex husband and life in central America.
A fascinating premise: a young woman of Creek descent travels to Central America to find out what happened to her parents who disappeared during the height of the AIM movement for political reasons.
The current backdrop of U, S. foreign policy and war in C, A. during thes adds another suspenseful dimension as the protagonists befriends "suspicious" expats there, The novel is worth reading but disappoints in its structure and lessthangraceful movement from past to present and back again.
Also, the ending leaves a lot unexplained, But I can count on one hand how many novels confront the politics of this time period, especially the fallout from the AIM movement.
I'm evangelizing this novel and urge all to read it, I've already sent it to the usual suspects all of whom have reported in with jubilant appreciation, Unreadable prose. Was assigned this in a Contemporary Writers course and could not stomach it past page, Pretentious, navelgazing tripe. For a full review, and to enter the giveaway for a copy of this book, check out my blog: sitelink com/p
Fascinating novel about a woman of Creek descent in Central America during the dirty wars of thes.
Janet McAdams suspenseful debut novel is a lyrical portrayal of a womans search for herself in the guise of her search for longmissing parents, who had fled imminent arrest for their involvement in as nonviolent Native American protest action that went wrong.
Her protagonist, Neva, has lived in the South all her life, passing as white in fear of what might happen to her if those around her realize shes partCreek.
Even her controlling, abusive husband never knew until the one person in whom she confided told him,
As her desperation to be free of this narcissistic husband and her loss of self grows, Neva discovers a clue to the possible whereabouts of her parents and flees her life in Atlanta to seek them in the tiny, wartorn country of Coatepeque in Central America.
She finds work teaching the children of the wealthy elite, love with a sensitive man of shadowy connections, and friends for whom she can care and make a commitment.
As the chaotic war around her escalates, Neva faces danger and heartbreak on all sides,
Surrounded by violence and havoc, she begins to remake herself as a whole person,
Within Nevas perspective, we move back and forth in time and space from her memories of her parents increasing commitment to activism as they learn of the heartrending forced sterilization of Native women in the United States to the constantly escalating battle the wealthy elite wage against the surrounding Indigenous populace in Coatepeque to memories of her husbands selfishness and cruel domination, the personal version of these other largescale attacks on Indigenous peoples.
Her eloquent prose guides us through these transitions, and her beautifully rendered characters and places lure us on in this journey from grief and longing to the potential of a new life.
One of our most compelling and imaginative poets, McAdams weaves a spell of loss, forgiveness, and redemption that will grip the readers mind long after the last page is read.
I liked this one very much, The personal evolution/external revolution themes were handled deftly, and the whole portrait of a place and the relationships taking place within and without it were strong and vivid.
Covers just about everything that happened during the dirty wars of thes in Central America, you name it, with an interesting angle around native American activism around the same time which was new to me.
Combined with the main character's selfesteem and identity issues, it's an engaging emotional and physical journey, McAdams does a nice job evoking Guatemala/El Salvador/Yucatan Mexico in the fictional country of Coatepequen, And how it had happened she wasnt sure, except that she knew she had leaned toward him, turned her face up toward his and he had stopped, keys in hand, from unlocking the car door.
He had looked at her for a long moment, but she had kissed him, Of that she was sure,
“Its up to you,” he said when they broke apart, “You must know I want you to come up, ”
They kissed again and then they leaned together, His hair smelled like wood, “Stay or go,” he said,
“Stay,” she said in a small voice in his left ear,
Against the backdrop of Central American politics, this suspenseful first novel from awardwinning poet Janet McAdams explores the journey from loss to possibility, from the secrets of the past to the longings of the present.
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