Writers Abroad Magazine Issue 5 | Page 31

WRITERS ABROAD MAGAZINE: THE THIRD SPACE

‘Salvage the Bones’ by Jesmyn Ward
Reviewed by Jill Brown
This novel covers a period of twelve days, as hurricane Katrina
builds up in the Gulf of Mexico and then strikes land. An
impoverished black family living on the threatened Mississippi
coast are making desperate preparations for its arrival.
The story is told through the eyes of fourteen-year-old Esch, who
recently discovered she is pregnant. Her family of three brothers,
(one the doting owner of a Pitbull – their relationship an essential
part of the story) and a heavy-drinking father attempt to stock
what food they can and build defences, whilst still grieving the
loss of their mother in childbirth.
Their familial love, courage and tenacity are portrayed
unsentimentally but in poetic, emotive prose. This is not for the squeamish – life is raw
and some of the dogfights described are vicious. But it is an intense, big-hearted and
gripping read, right up to its heart-pounding climax.

This Big Buddha (Tian Tan) is made of bronze and is one of the largest seated Buddha
statues in the world. It is 34 metres high (112 feet) and is a very popular tourist
attraction. © LAURA BESLEY

30 | November 2016