Another Brooklyn: A Novel by Jacqueline Woodson

(Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!)

about book:

The acclaimed New York Times bestselling and National Book Award–winning author of Brown Girl Dreaming delivers her first adult novel in twenty years.

Running into a long-ago friend sets memory from the 1970s in motion for August, transporting her to a time and a place where friendship was everything—until it wasn’t. For August and her girls, sharing confidences as they ambled through neighborhood streets, Brooklyn was a place where they believed that they were beautiful, talented, brilliant—a part of a future that belonged to them.

But beneath the hopeful veneer, there was another Brooklyn, a dangerous place where grown men reached for innocent girls in dark hallways, where ghosts haunted the night, where mothers disappeared. A world where madness was just a sunset away and fathers found hope in religion.

Like Louise Meriwether’s Daddy Was a Number Runner and Dorothy Allison’s Bastard Out of Carolina, Jacqueline Woodson’s Another Brooklyn heartbreakingly illuminates the formative time when childhood gives way to adulthood—the promise and peril of growing up—and exquisitely renders a powerful, indelible, and fleeting friendship that united four young lives.

my thoughts:

Whoa! This book is AMAZING. Seriously! It is by far one of the best reads I've experienced this year. The writing is excellent, the storytelling is mesmerizing, and the character of August is terrific.

When I received my copy, I sat right down to start reading and didn't get up for nearly an hour. I found myself riveted by Woodson's touching prose and August's coming-of-age tale set in Brooklyn during the 70s.  August and her brother are first prohibited from leaving their front yard and instead sit by the window staring out at the city before them. Eventually, their father lets them walk down the street, etc. Soon, August has three best friends she hangs out with, shares secrets with, and explores the city with. We read about August reassuring her little brother that their mother will be coming soon to join them.  We read about the heat and danger of the city.  We read about August and her first boyfriend stealing kisses. We read about a young lady growing up and experiencing betrayal by her very best friend. We read about what really happened to August's mom and how she won't be coming back to them.  And we read about August leaving Brooklyn behind.  Woodson depicts such a detailed life story in such a short amount of pages - her writing is smart, vivid, and addictive. I found myself turning pages faster and faster, the more enchanted I became with this fantastic story. I found myself transported to Brooklyn and hanging out with August. And I found myself thinking about August long after I turned the last page.  Another Brooklyn is an unforgettable read that I will never forget. I can't wait to read more of Woodson's work! And I would happily recommend this book to fans of Woodson's writing and anyone looking for a new great read - you will LOVE this book!!

Here's the link to the TLC Book Tour schedule for: Another Brooklyn

Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!