Customer Reviews

Repossessing Ernestine: A Granddaughter Uncovers the Secret History of Her American Family

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Repossessing Ernestine is a very interesting, compelling novel, however, Marsha Hunt should have given the reader more history of the "Talented Tenth". I am sure there some readers were lost and confused with many points in the book. More information about the "light skinned" elite in America and their history would better explain how Ernestine's world evolved, thus, lending credence to the idealism that was her true captor. Ernestine Hunt was a victim of social mores, beliefs and practices more so than alleged "mental illness".

Marsha Hunt did not explain how it came to be that her mother and father met, married then divorced. The reader is not given an explanation of why her father was not present in your life and how she truly felt about that. These facts would speak to the evloution of the "Talented Tenth" tradition up to 1956.

Repossessing Ernstine is a fabulous outline of an interesing memoir/biography. Marsha Hunt should follow up on this novel with another, giving more depth and insight into important historical incidences of Ernestine's early life. The reader needs to be re-introuduced to Ernestine Hunt - this time, instead of offering participant observation facts, invite the reader into Ernestine's world.

I read this book some years ago. I even called a friend who now lives once more in her home town of Memphis, TN. She assured me of the accuracy of events and names. Reading this book was equivalent to eating and enjoying a good multi-course meal. However, before I could finish the dessert, the table was cleared. As with many, if not all readers of this book, I hope that there will be a follow up book delving further for explanations. We are left hanging in mid air over quite a few issues. Does Marsha Hunt feel she gave all that she felt we needed to know, or did she grow weary and/or scared of finding more answers? Truly she cannot be content with the finality she offered to us. Still, bravo to her for her determination.

I must firstly disagree with the review that I have read. This book was capturing, and I was unable to put it down, I was reading in ques, while travelling and staying awake late into the night to finish it. I am a Mental Health nurse, and can understand the chain of events in Ernestine's life, especially in the era which she lived. Ms Hunt did an exceptional job of locating her 'lost and forgotten' grandmother, and whatever her motivation was, she appeared to increase the quality of Ernestine's life. I would be interested to learn how she spent the following years. Again Ms Hunt is to be commended. I have recommended the book to many friends,who have all enjoyed it, and after four years, I recommended it to another friend only last week.

Yes, I know that Marhsa Hunt had a child with Mick Jagger (how many times does she remind us?), but aside from that, her story is compelling although her reasons for searching out Ernestine seem to end once Hunt has enough Material for her book. I was left wondering about this cold, distant family and the children who wanted nothing to do with their mother until cousin Marsha takes an interest for whatever reason. None of the proposed questions are ever answered: Was Ernestine insane (unlikely)? Why did they lie about her educational background? Why did her children take so little interest in her? How did this family come to so callously turn their back on a "ill" mother especially when they became psychologists themselves? And, what role, if any, did race play? A sad story and wholly unsatifying, if you are looking for answers other than who is the father of Marsha Hunts daughter...you will not find them here. Ernestine Exploited is a better title.