Where can I begin?
The author says this book is a “love letter” to her half-sibling, to her half-sister that she shares her father with. She explicitly states that her father was not bigamous. Yet concerning the number of single mother households in America today, there are many families that have been torn asunder or affected by bigamy in more ways than one.
This book has deeply affected me, and although several readers of this book have posted reviews saying this book is pointless and that it was “disappointing” to them because it didn’t really progress from the sensation that bigamy is, or that the storyline didn’t lead to anywhere, are clearly missing the point here. The point is to show the effect of big on their lives. The subject of bigamy is so hard to write about. It’s a stagnant situation that reeks, can never fully be corrected without hurting anyone and it never really leads anywhere. It’s like being stuck in a rut. If you’ve ever had to make a difficult choice in whom to love, and live your life according to it, you’d probably relate. Love in real life, is not the Corinthians kind of love, it is not patient and kind. Love in real life is heartbreak.
Although the ending of the book was a bit dramatic (and most real life bigamous stories don’t always end like that), the concept of a bigamous marriage as depicted in this book really hits home. So, this book was a tear-jerker, I didn’t just cry but it drew a very deep part of my soul that I didn’t know existed. It was a part of me that had remained walled off, it was numb, cold and unfeeling, and this story by Tayari Jones gave it life, emotion and a heartbeat.
I loved this book. Tayari writes with great feeling and sensitivity, something that she is able to expose us to. I could sense the pain, joy and the heartbreak of the author, and the emotional proclivity it probably took to imagine and write something of this magnitude. I also love the author’s way with words, and the way she transports us to not just read but live that feeling. I would’ve loved more of Dana and Chaurisse. In going through what they went through, and persevered, Dana and Gwen are both strong characters to me and I admire them. Dana was the most likeable character in this book to me, after which her mother Gwen was a close second. And they were constantly singled out. I would’ve loved to read more from their perspective, I think there need to be more mother-daughter books that explore similar topics, it would make for a great feminist book, one that I’d love to read. Another thing I’d have loved to read of would be the probable love story, of what could’ve been if Gwen had given Rayleigh a chance. I think that was happiness but a lot of women who have been singled out tend to reject happiness and follow the path of pain, and loneliness.
I regard Tayari Jones as the black equivalent of Elizabeth Gilbert. Tayari literally made me “Eat, Pray, and Love” with this book of hers: a tribute to her siblings. It is very sweet and yet so dark in the most mysterious of ways, it points to human infallibility, that strength lies within and the fact that blood runs thicker than water... regardless of whom we choose to call family, and our toes to them despite our circumstance, and ourselves.
I read this book months ago on kindle but I am ordering the paperback version on Amazon just so I can reread it again, and feel every bit of emotion course through my bones again, as I cozy up on my couch with a cup of hot chai and my thoughts. I may order pizza and sniffle into my pillow as I course through the book with raw emotions, and I might just yet call my friend and cry about the book if I feel like.
Or I might find renewed strength just like Scarlett O’Hara in Gone With The Wind, “I’ll think of it tomorrow” and pretend that I will deal with the harshness of the world tomorrow, while feeling the desolation of today.
Tayari, I have only read a few pages of American Marriage but I read Silver Sparrow because it was so easy to read and relatable to me, I’m sure you have touched many sisters lives by writing this and putting bits of your own life story into this, if any. Love, Z
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About the author
"What done in the dark, will eventually come to the light"
Imagine going through life being told that you are a secret and that you have to keep your whole identity to a minimum because of a decision that your parents made. In another case, imagine the life you thought was ideal but in reality was filled with nothing but lies, secret, and deceptions. A story about two girls in Atlanta (the 1980s), around the same age, who lives in two separate realities because of there father, a bigamist. Silver Sparrow was very much what I expected; a page-turner that kept you engaged throughout the book. Full of twists and turns, searching for the truth, and explorations of complex identities, this book represent Tayari Jones very well.
Top reviews from other countries
Gemma - Read A Book Gem
A really worthwhile read.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 1, 2021
