“My mama say education will give me a voice. I want more than just a voice, Ms. Tia. I want a louding voice,” I say. “I want to enter a room and people will hear me even before I open my mouth to be speaking. I want to live in this life and help many people so that when I grow old and die, I will still be living through the people I am helping.” —Abi Daré, The Girl with the Louding Voice
I’ve got two new book besties: Jenna Bush Hager and Barack Obama. Reese and I have had a bit of a falling out of late, but Jenna and Barack, we’re rock-solid. They’ve yet to steer me wrong. Here are four of the Read with Jenna picks I can’t stop thinking about. You’ve got next, Barack. Ladies first.
Favorite Listen of 2021
Had I done a Best Of for 2021, this beauty would’ve taken top prize in the listen category. Everyone, and I do mean everyone, should read this book. Which is why it’s been my most gifted book of the year so far. Hard to sum it up better than Jeanine Cummins, author of another favorite of mine: “The girl with the louding voice is a character for the ages. Adunni is a girl who narrates her own suffering with levity, who paints depth and texture and beauty into her Nigerian homeland, who tenderly cultivates her own humanity even while everything around her seeks to thwart it. She is an ambassador for girls everywhere. She is important, funny, brave, and enduring. Abi Daré has written an unforgettable novel, by the strength of her own louding voice.”
Best Memoir 2021
Seems to be a day of bests. I would add a caveat here, only because declaring bests always makes me nervous: this wins favorite new memoir I read last year. It must be said that I equally loved one written a few years ago that I waited way too long to read: Born a Crime. You can read Sharee’s review of that winner here. But back to Beautiful Country. It’s so good it landed on both Jenna and Barack’s lists. I love this description by Gish Jen: “Heartrending, unvarnished, and powerfully courageous, this account of growing up undocumented in America will never leave you.” I know it hasn’t left me.
Amor does it again.
Another Jenna and Barack crossover. Seems Michelle and George aren’t the only Bush/Obama besties. A Gentleman in Moscow remains my favorite Amor Towles to date, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t love every page of this one. Pardon me while I let Ann Patchett (man, I love her) tell you why you should read this book: “Welcome to the enormous pleasure that is The Lincoln Highway, a big book of camaraderie and adventure in which the miles fly by and the pages turn fast. Set over the course of ten riveting days, the story of these four boys unfolds, refolds, tears, and is taped back together. When you aren’t actually reading the book, you’ll be worrying about the characters, so you might as well stay in your chair and keep reading.”
Family Saga with a Twist
This was probably my least favorite of the four, but considering how much I loved the other three, that’s not a fatal criticism. It’s still well-worth the read. I found the premise intriguing: while we can’t choose what we inherit, can we choose what we become? At times clunky—mostly due to trying to cover one too many social issues—it explores its premise well and leaves us with a beautiful family saga rich in culture, courage, and the sheer force of will. Not to mention a nice helping of murder mystery on the side. Word has it it’s soon to be a series on Hulu. Sign me up!