Review of Kalayla

[joe martin 1]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Kalayla" by Jeannie Nicholas.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Kalayla, is quite an exciting book by Jeannie Nicholas. When I began reading the book, I was immediately captivated. The book starts with Lena not minding her business but out stalking Kalayla. Kalayla happens to remind her of her two boys, who have already passed on. Kalayla's mannerism seems to have reawakened the memories of her twins to the point that she is willing to just spend time with Kalayla, whom she barely knows at this point. My, oh my. Nothing like a mother's love.

Much like Lena's boys, Kalayla is a brilliant eleven-year-old who is more intelligent than her age. She was brought up by a single mom, Maureen. The death of Maureen’s husband took a toll on them, and they were forced to live hand to mouth. She struggles to put food on the table by working shifts on casual jobs. Life can indeed be challenging, especially for a single mom whose family abandoned her for marrying a black man. Racial prejudice, family wrangles, forgiveness, and financial struggle themes have lingered across the book.

Lena is their landlady and lives just across the hall. She is a sad soul who is mainly identified with black clothes, based on Kalayla's point of view. Indeed it's sad how awful life may turn out. One day you are happily married with sons and a husband, and the next day you have no one to call family. Such was Lena's life. She lost her twin sons and has difficulties coping with the sad state of estranged sons whose whereabouts are unknown. Her late husband was like a thorn in her marriage, from his domestic violence and the poor upbringing of their kids.

I loved the author's style of writing that involved the use of characters to narrate the story based on their perspective. This makes the readers get a different view of other characters, which also helps in character development. Additionally, it made the story more exciting and captivating to readers.

I would definitely recommend this book to readers who love forgiveness, reconciliation, and family-themed stories. I would, however, not recommend the book to young readers because it has some profane words. I generally loved reading the book from the start to the end and would rate it 4 out of 4 stars. This is because it was exceptionally well-edited and exciting. I will be sure to keep an eye on other books by the author. She is truly talented.

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Kalayla
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