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3.52 AVERAGE
3.52 AVERAGE
he_j's review against another edition
4.0
great reading about my home Uni city and the black/white reach issues at the time. Very informative as well as a good novel.
donnaburtwistle's review against another edition
4.0
I had to let this book resonate with me a bit before I posted a review. Upon doing so, I changed my rating from 3 to 4 stars. Set in the post-WW2 era, the story centres around the theme of home and identity. Emancipation Day is observed in a mostly-black neighbourhood to acknowledge the illegality of slavery. This part of Windsor is where Jack brings his new bride, Vivian, to Windsor to meet his family. The truth of his upbringing and of their future is made clear during a short period of time...
nicbonbon's review against another edition
5.0
This book started off a little slow for me but I ended up really enjoying it. The last chapter of the book broke my heart!
doreeny's review against another edition
3.0
Jack Lewis, a Navy musician stationed in St. John’s, Nfld, during WWII, meets Vivian and marries her despite her family’s misgivings. After the war, they set off for Windsor, Ont., to meet Jack’s family before they decide where they will live. It is in Windsor that Vivian starts discovering that there is much Jack has not told her and that much of what he has is not the truth.
Jack’s biggest secret, revealed to the reader in the first quarter of the book, is that he is passing as white. His entire life has been devoted to passing tests to prove that he is white: “girlfriends, lunch-counter waitresses, the high-school baseball team, and so far he’d passed them all.” He joins a band called the All-Whites: “No one blinked when Jack joined the band, which meant no one knew anything about him or his family.” To remain anonymous is his goal: “Nobody knew who he was, and nobody cared, which was Jack’s idea of paradise.” When Vivian suggests that since Jack’s family is in Windsor, he belongs there, he replies, “’No, it ain’t. . . . You get born, you grow up and you leave. . . . Why can’t I belong to where I’m going?’”
The relationship between Jack and Vivian is problematic. First of all, Jack is not a likeable person. He may resemble Frank Sinatra, but he has little else going for him. He’s a glib actor and not just when he’s on stage. Vivian‘s sister calls him a “smooth” performer: “’He’s meant to be looked at, not understood. . . . He’s all surface.’” She also describes him as “by-catch” and, even after the wedding, thinks of him as an “unpleasantness, like a blocked drain.” Even Vivian is bothered by his reserve and distance: “He didn’t look at her when he talked, he didn’t put his arm around her when they walked down the street. We’re not even married yet, she thought, and already we’re acting like an old couple. What will it be like when we’re actually married.” Furthermore, Jack never tells Vivian that he loves her. She “worried how to tell him she loved him . . . [and] practised telling him,” but there is no mention made of his ever declaring his love for her. Nonetheless, she marries him? Vivian’s sister says, “’You only think you’re in love with him because he’s your ticket off the island’” and Vivian, herself, when listing reasons for getting married mentions love “almost as an afterthought.” Certainly there is not a great deal of passion in the relationship – sex, yes, but passion, no. Perhaps Vivian hits on the truth when she comments to her husband, “’How can you love me if you don’t love your own family?’”
Vivian’s character development is weak. There just seems no vitality to her personality; she could best be described as tepid. Her most outstanding trait is her naivety, this perhaps being the result of her sheltered upbringing. She speaks about “about her desire to see something of the world,” but has little concrete idea of what she would like to see. Throughout the novel, she remains vague and amorphous. The last sentence of the novel is powerful, but it does suggest that she remains a non-entity - even in her own family she has no impact.
There are some plotting issues. For example, the timing of Vivian’s epiphany is just too perfect. Then, is it likely that Jack’s secret could be kept for so long in a community the size of Windsor? And, in the episode where Jack and Peter go searching for Della, how does Peter manage to return home so quickly and without a vehicle? By the time Jack finds Della, Peter is already home, despite their being “miles from home, too far to walk”? Peter’s absence is necessary for what transpires next, but it should be explained logically.
Despite its shortcomings, the novel does have good qualities. It seriously examines the theme of self-identity and explores race issues in the mid-twentieth century. The reader may not approve of Jack’s behaviour and would prefer if he were more accepting of his heritage, but it is understandable given the treatment of blacks in that time period. The use of point of view is very effective; the perspective of several characters is given, including that of Jack, his father, and Vivian. The title of the book is genius; it refers to the abolition of slavery in the British Empire, but it has an entirely different meaning for Jack. And given the date of publication and the author’s own history, Emancipation Day has meanings on other levels as well. Despite its not being flawless, the book certainly gives readers some things to consider.
Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.
Please check out my reader's blog (http://schatjesshelves.blogspot.ca/) and follow me on Twitter (@DCYakabuski).
Jack’s biggest secret, revealed to the reader in the first quarter of the book, is that he is passing as white. His entire life has been devoted to passing tests to prove that he is white: “girlfriends, lunch-counter waitresses, the high-school baseball team, and so far he’d passed them all.” He joins a band called the All-Whites: “No one blinked when Jack joined the band, which meant no one knew anything about him or his family.” To remain anonymous is his goal: “Nobody knew who he was, and nobody cared, which was Jack’s idea of paradise.” When Vivian suggests that since Jack’s family is in Windsor, he belongs there, he replies, “’No, it ain’t. . . . You get born, you grow up and you leave. . . . Why can’t I belong to where I’m going?’”
The relationship between Jack and Vivian is problematic. First of all, Jack is not a likeable person. He may resemble Frank Sinatra, but he has little else going for him. He’s a glib actor and not just when he’s on stage. Vivian‘s sister calls him a “smooth” performer: “’He’s meant to be looked at, not understood. . . . He’s all surface.’” She also describes him as “by-catch” and, even after the wedding, thinks of him as an “unpleasantness, like a blocked drain.” Even Vivian is bothered by his reserve and distance: “He didn’t look at her when he talked, he didn’t put his arm around her when they walked down the street. We’re not even married yet, she thought, and already we’re acting like an old couple. What will it be like when we’re actually married.” Furthermore, Jack never tells Vivian that he loves her. She “worried how to tell him she loved him . . . [and] practised telling him,” but there is no mention made of his ever declaring his love for her. Nonetheless, she marries him? Vivian’s sister says, “’You only think you’re in love with him because he’s your ticket off the island’” and Vivian, herself, when listing reasons for getting married mentions love “almost as an afterthought.” Certainly there is not a great deal of passion in the relationship – sex, yes, but passion, no. Perhaps Vivian hits on the truth when she comments to her husband, “’How can you love me if you don’t love your own family?’”
Vivian’s character development is weak. There just seems no vitality to her personality; she could best be described as tepid. Her most outstanding trait is her naivety, this perhaps being the result of her sheltered upbringing. She speaks about “about her desire to see something of the world,” but has little concrete idea of what she would like to see. Throughout the novel, she remains vague and amorphous. The last sentence of the novel is powerful, but it does suggest that she remains a non-entity - even in her own family she has no impact.
There are some plotting issues. For example, the timing of Vivian’s epiphany is just too perfect. Then, is it likely that Jack’s secret could be kept for so long in a community the size of Windsor? And, in the episode where Jack and Peter go searching for Della, how does Peter manage to return home so quickly and without a vehicle? By the time Jack finds Della, Peter is already home, despite their being “miles from home, too far to walk”? Peter’s absence is necessary for what transpires next, but it should be explained logically.
Despite its shortcomings, the novel does have good qualities. It seriously examines the theme of self-identity and explores race issues in the mid-twentieth century. The reader may not approve of Jack’s behaviour and would prefer if he were more accepting of his heritage, but it is understandable given the treatment of blacks in that time period. The use of point of view is very effective; the perspective of several characters is given, including that of Jack, his father, and Vivian. The title of the book is genius; it refers to the abolition of slavery in the British Empire, but it has an entirely different meaning for Jack. And given the date of publication and the author’s own history, Emancipation Day has meanings on other levels as well. Despite its not being flawless, the book certainly gives readers some things to consider.
Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.
Please check out my reader's blog (http://schatjesshelves.blogspot.ca/) and follow me on Twitter (@DCYakabuski).
prairiegirl75's review against another edition
3.0
Read for bookclub - interesting story, made for a great discussion!
kate327's review against another edition
3.0
I found this book a bit disappointing. I would have liked to have a fuller development of the characters of Jack and Vivian, as they seemed one dimensional to me. The book could also have provided a more in-depth sense of racial tensions in Canada during the 1940s, especially from Vivian's perspective. All in all, it was an interesting and thought-provoking story, with a very powerful (albeit distressing) ending.
internetnomads's review against another edition
3.0
The voice of the narrator seems a bit detached in this book. I wanted it to have a bit more emotional punch. I really enjoyed the first half, with a screwed-up sea voyage involuntarily taken. Once you get past the initial stages of the main characters' romance the pace seems to dwindle. It picks back up again right at the end. My opinion of this book fluctuated wildly during the time I read it, and at the end I came down to liking it.
bookgirl1209's review
3.0
A family saga type book about one's roots and the damage done when one denies them.
It was a interesting story set in Windsor for the most part. The references to local places and events was fun. When was the last time River Canard was referred to in a novel? But for all the fun of seeing someplace that you actually know the characters weren't developed enough for me, which is truly a shame as these were some of the most interesting characters I've come across in a long time.
The portrayal of Windsor at that time in history is very well done I just wish Grady had let us into the characters a little more.
It was a interesting story set in Windsor for the most part. The references to local places and events was fun. When was the last time River Canard was referred to in a novel? But for all the fun of seeing someplace that you actually know the characters weren't developed enough for me, which is truly a shame as these were some of the most interesting characters I've come across in a long time.
The portrayal of Windsor at that time in history is very well done I just wish Grady had let us into the characters a little more.
brookeh_reads's review
3.0
I found Emancipation Day a very interesting read. I liked how the novel explored race relations in Canada in the 1940s, a topic we don't see very often. I have read countless books about the struggle of African Americans during the 20th century but it was refreshing to hear a story based in my own country on the topic. The exploration of what race is and the influence of one's family on one's self was also very thought provoking. One thing about the novel that I did not necessarily like however was the complete lack of likable characters. The book is told from three different perspectives. This gives the story more intrigue and helps the reader understand the story and themes more fully however, the characters themselves were all lacking. The main character Jack was terrible to his wife and I did not believe that they were ever actually in love. He basically lies his entire life, which I understand is a major idea in the novel but I did not find that I had any sympathy towards him like I should have. His wife Vivian is also not very likable because she just gives in to Jack's moods and does not seem very intelligent herself. Her greatest joy in the novel was calculating money to go grocery shopping it seemed. And of course Jack's father seemed like a miserable man who was very bitter and proud at the same time, qualities which did not make me enjoy his sections either. Overall though I found this melancholy novel did raise some important questions about race, what is race, and identity in general and the ending truly summarizes these ideas very well. I would recommend this book to people who are interested in these the 1940s and African American/Canadian history.
limabean_reads's review
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Complicated
3.5