Push (novel)

Push by Sapphire

Most everyone has heard of this book now that the movie, Precious, based on this novel is getting Oscar buzz.

Rather than try to describe the story in my own words, I'll quote from the back cover:

Precious Jones, an illiterate sixteen-year-old, has up until now been invisible: invisible to the father who rapes her and the mother who batters her and to the authorities who dismiss her as just one more of Harlem's casualties. But when Precious, pregnant with a second child by her father, meets a determined and highly radical teacher, we follow her on a journey of education and enlightenment as Precious learns not only how to write about her life, but how to make it her own for the first time.

This was a hard read. Not in plot complexity, but just emotionally wrenching. Some of the most horrific things you can imagine happening to a child happen in this story. I was hesitant to read it, and I'm still not sure what prompted me to take the leap, as it's not for the faint of heart, and I am of the faint of heart when it comes to the horrors that take place in this book. I'm not giving it a bad review, however; I don't mean to convey that it's not a good book. It's poetic and very well-written and evokes an emotional - and even physical - response. It's just hard.

Judge for yourself. If you want my copy, let me know.

I need something light and happy to read now!