Showing posts with label THE HELP. Show all posts
Showing posts with label THE HELP. Show all posts

Monday, March 26, 2012

Defending a Book

I'm not the only one who uses a blog to review books. I enjoy seeking others who do the same. While I respect each reader's opinions, why do I find myself feeling compelled to respond to someone who rips a book I love? I know we can't all like the same things; if we did, it would be a dull existence and a lot of writers would be out of business.
But how someone could profess to loving THE HELP by Kathryn Stockett and then rip THE HEALING by Jonathan Odell is beyond me.

I like a book that teaches as well as entertains. Stockett did no research other than talking to her sister's maid, and even with all she gleaned from the maid, she didn't bother to give her one sentence of acknowledgement. She made an historical mistake in the book and she made up things that simply would not have happened. Needless to say, the black community didn't take to THE HELP too well.

As he wrote THE HEALING, Odell did hours of research and made sure the people he interviewed were given their deserved credits. This fact alone makes me give more credence to his work.

I read this review: http://www.anitabook.com/the-healing-written-by-jonathan-odell/#comment-32 and was dumbfounded. The reasons the reviewer gives for her poor rating for THE HEALING would make sense if what she says is true about the book. But my view from the rocking chair is nothing like what she sees. I hope nobody by-passes this book because of her review.