B is not a child of his time. As an outsider, he hides his secrets well. Freedom is all he dreams of. But when it comes at last, it is in the most unexpected way – and at a considerable cost.
When I first started reading The Emancipation of B I was counting down the pages, waiting for a more engaging plot to arise. Around page 50 I stopped. It was hard to figure out where the story was headed because it’s presented differently than my usual read – ones that guide you along events that are full of action or mystery. But it was a great break from that, almost a meditative read. It focuses on B, a character I found myself, as an introvert, relating strongly to, as he figures out what sort of life he wants to lead and how to get there in a world not made for him. As his world becomes filled with mindfulness you become mindful of each word you’re reading. It’s a great read between action packed page turners if you’re looking for something that is a little different and a little spiritual. It deals with death, family, and becoming an adult. It also tackles racism gracefully, something I found very refreshing considering my recent reads.
This is definitely a book that came at the right time for me and I was sad to see it end the way it did. It ended solidly, that’s not why I’m sad, but it had me wishing there was another chapter just to see what happened. I’m a very curious person. I can’t think of a better ending that would highlight B’s values so well.
I’m giving it 3 stars. It was a bit harder for me to get through than I prefer, and while I did enjoy the break from what I’ve been reading lately and the bit of guidance it personally gave me, it’s just not a book I’ll read again and it’s not a book I would recommend to everyone I meet. I know many prefer books that are more external conflict and adventurous, whereas The Emancipation of B focuses very internal and has a mindfulness pacing that isn’t commonly found.
The Emancipation of B by Jennifer Kavanagh came out February 27th, 2015.
Check out the first six pages on Amazon
I was given this book for a honest review. I reviewed as I would had I picked the book up myself.
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