Review of 'Nam in L.A.

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Justine Ocsebio
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Review of 'Nam in L.A.

Post by Justine Ocsebio »

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "'Nam in L.A." by Barbara Ruth Robbins.]
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5 out of 5 stars
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Family plays a role in honing our personalities and changing how we perceive the world. 'Nam in LA by Barbara Ruth Robbins chronicles a poignant and honest story of a family through the lens of a little girl growing up with them around. Family stories often highlight inspiring narratives, but this one does not leave out the trials each family member experiences. Follow Barbara or more commonly known as "Robbie" in a bittersweet tale of love, grief, and redemption.

The book feels very poignant and sentimental, which is the aspect that I like the most about it. The first part of the narrative was told by a child, which I enjoyed reading. We see a young girl as she tries to make sense of the concept of death and why people discriminate against each other based on the colors of their skin. It's also interesting to see how family troubles are viewed by a young mind. We also witness how Robbie changes these perceptions as she grows old. Through the years, she would learn to understand things she never did when she was a child.

This work of fiction has storytelling uncommon to the usual books with similar ideas. The narrative flows like a fiction novel. However, sometimes the prose is cut off, followed by a piece of poetry. A poem continues the story with more poignant sentiments. I appreciate this type of storytelling because it makes the book unique, and it appeals to the emotions of the readers.

The writing is sentimental, and I appreciate how neat and organized everything is. I neither have issues to point out nor dislikes to mention. I like the values it attempts to convey, especially about healing and forgiveness. The truth about family being a source of emotional scars sometimes feels very real and personal to me. There are plenty of heart-warming messages to obtain from this book, which makes me feel like recommending this book to everyone who likes reading emotionally-moving pieces such as this. I also think that fiction readers who like books exploring gender sensitivity should give this a shot.

I have no reason to rate 'Nam in LA other than a 5 out of 5 stars. I like the sentiments on trauma and healing. The storytelling technique is captivating, and the organization of the book is neat. There isn't a single error in the text so I can vouch for the book's excellent professional editing.

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'Nam in L.A.
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Patty Allread
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Post by Patty Allread »

The poetry in this book sounds like a nice touch and lets the reader know sentiments and emotions that would be difficult to express as part of the storyline.
Damilola Oluwaseun
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Post by Damilola Oluwaseun »

To me, the reality that family can leave emotional wounds from time to time feels very real and intimate. I would love to read the book.
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Ayindelaw
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Post by Ayindelaw »

When I saw the title of this book, I thought it would be some war story of some sort. Now I understand it is about emotional battles in the context of family. It is a good concept.
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