by Jesmyn Ward
First published 2011
Esch lives with her three brothers and alcoholic father in Bois Sauvage, Mississippi. At fourteen, she discovers she's pregnant but keeps this secret as Hurricane Katrina approaches the Gulf Coast. Her father, usually absent and indifferent, suddenly worries about the storm and orders the family to prepare. Food runs short, and what little Esch manages to eat comes back up. Her brother Skeetah focuses on his pitbull's struggling newborn puppies, watching them die one by one in the dirt. Brothers Randall and Junior compete for attention in a household where children raise themselves. Their mother died years ago, leaving them to survive on their own. Over twelve days leading to Katrina's landfall, the family scrambles to gather supplies and brace for the hurricane. These motherless siblings protect each other as best they can, sharing what little they have. When the storm finally hits, they must rely on the bonds they've built to endure both the natural disaster and the grinding poverty that shapes their daily lives.
Genres: fiction, african-american, contemporary, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, resilience
Setting: Bois Sauvage, Mississippi, Gulf Coast
Period: Hurricane Katrina
261 pages · Hardcover · Bloomsbury
Content warnings: child-death