This fiercely moving, unforgettable first novel tells the story of Ruth Anne Boatwright--called Bone by her family--a South Carolina bastard with an annotated birth certificate to tell the tale. Bone's story is inseparable from that of her family, the notorious Boatwright clan. This tender yet disturbing tale is a harrowing story of family violence and incest that is "simply stunning" ( New York Times Book Review).
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This fiercely moving, unforgettable first novel tells the story of Ruth Anne Boatwright--called Bone by her family--a South Carolina bastard with an annotated birth certificate to tell the tale. Bone's story is inseparable from that of her family, the notorious Boatwright clan. This tender yet disturbing tale is a harrowing story of family violence and incest that is "simply stunning" ( New York Times Book Review).
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This book is a perfect example of wrting as art. It envokes many strong emotion in the readers heart. and draws you into the story. The mental pictures will stay with you for a long time.If you are like me, that likes great writing, and an author who can make the story live, read Bastard Out of Carolina.
Annis
Dec 29, 2007
Bastard Out of Carolina
This book is about Bone, a South Carolina bastard with an annotated birth certificate growing up in South Carolina in the 1950s. It centres around her relationships with her troubled but loving mother, her abusive stepfather, and her proud but dirt-poor extended family the notorious Boatwright clan. Bone is a twelve year old trying to remember and understand what led to her being abandoned by her mother. She is surrounded by colourful relations. Her uncles are feared by men and adored by women, while her aunts are long-suffering but defiant. Her grandmother is a strict matriarch who loves her brood but "always loved her boy children more." The story captures the world from a child's point of view and makes Bone's hatred and fear of her stepfather and her anger at being looked down upon by townspeople very vivid and believable. Her mother and the two girls face many trials but their real trouble starts when Anney marries Glenn Waddell whose most outstanding characteristics are his uncontrollable temper and oversized hands. At first he is terribly sweet to the girls, then when Anney miscarries his child he turns on them. He chooses the weakest target, Bone, and tears the family apart demanding all Anney's love and care His jealousy of Bone, combined with his own destructive evilness, leads the story to a heinous climax . Bone suffers immense hardship, but she is not alone. Fierce determination and a loving extended family help her through.
The reader meets all the characters and becomes gradually drawn into their world through the character of Bone: through the filter of Bone trying to survive. A traumatic read
