Book Review Of Meet Behind Mars - Renee Simms
Renee Simms brilliance
shines in an unexpected way in this masterpiece.
‘Meet Behind Mars' is an
extraordinary book written by Renee Simms which focuses mostly on the ordinary
lives of black people ranging from Detroit to LA. It is a collection of short
tender stories which follow the lives of black female protagonists and in one
story of a black male protagonist as they navigate through their everyday life.
In the very first story we
can see Hatoria as she begins her journey as a writer. In the stories that
follow we can see these women try to work their way through life and we gain an
insight into their daily life and their internal struggles, hopes and
expectations from life. The women struggle with complicated and unresolved
problems which will highly resonate with the adults. Whether they are planning
a reunion, building planes that fly into outer space, taking care of elder
people or worrying about their kids they have their share of struggles. The
last story ‘Meet Behind Mars' tells of a young black boy Jesse who is
discriminated and picked at at school, not only by the students but also by the
teachers. The story follows in a hilarious and poignant way how Jesse's mother
Gloria Clark deals with this racism against her son. We can see domestic
realism in each of these short stories. They give a snapshot of the
protagonists life and you end up wanting to read more, to see where the story
goes and what happens later. The book is
rich with lucid and penetrating insights.
Initially it is quite
difficult to understand where the story heads or the plot and the purpose of the
story but as you read on these short simple stories become meaningful and we
can connect with the protagonists on a deeper level. It gives us an insight
into the emotional lives of normal people with normal jobs and normal lives. These
tender stories help us reflect and relate our lives. The range of characters
and their circumstances is beautiful and the book is written in an excellent
narrative style.
I think the book is
brilliant and something to be treasured. The people who have suffered from
racism and the ones who connect with the simple problems of people will find this
book a beautiful read. It will appeal to readers who are interested in
contemporary literary fiction.
Reviewer:
Steffi Machado, Roll no: 21
Bibliography:
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