Audiobook Review – Home by Toni Morrison (4/5 stars)
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Historical Fiction
Length: 4 hours and 29 minutes
Publisher: Random House Audio
Release Date: May 08, 2012
ASIN: B0081CDS3U
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Source: Borrowed Audiobook from Library
Rating: 4/5 stars
“Frank Money is an angry, self-loathing veteran of the Korean War who, after traumatic experiences on the front lines, finds himself back in racist America with more than just physical scars. His home may seem alien to him, but he is shocked out of his crippling apathy by the need to rescue his medically abused younger sister and take her back to the small Georgia town they come from and that he’s hated all his life.
As Frank revisits his memories from childhood and the war that have left him questioning his sense of self, he discovers a profound courage he had thought he could never possess again. A deeply moving novel about an apparently defeated man finding his manhood – and his home.”
Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book. I borrowed this on audiobook from the library.
Thoughts: This was well done and poetically written. It’s a historical fiction about a Korean War vet who gets called back to his home town in Georgia to rescue his sister. He thought he had left the awful racism of Georgia behind, but is now forced to face it again with both the pain and good memories it brings.
This was beautifully written and beautifully narrated by the author. It was an excellent look at the 1950’s and in particular the racism of the era (which although better now is still sadly present). It also looks at veterans of that era and how PTSD left many veterans mentally wounded without any help being offered.
I enjoyed watching Frank’s journey through the American countryside on his way back to Georgia. Although, the casual violence him and his fellow African Americans faced was shocking and heartbreaking. Even more so because a lot of this violence endures even now, even though it’s not as blatant. Reading about what his poor sister went through in his absence was just as heart-wrenching. I did enjoy that the ending gave some hope and peace to both of theses characters.
My Summary (4/5): Overall this was a beautifully written novel about a PTDS stricken Korean War vet trying to make his way through a racist America back to his sister and the home he hates. While it isn’t something I plan to reread, I am glad I read it once. If you are interested in 1950’s historical fiction that focuses on veterans and racism, I would recommend picking this up. It’s engaging and interesting.
