I’m back with another review! Today I’m sharing my review of What’s Mine and Yours by Naima Coster.
Synopsis
From the author of Halsey Street, a sweeping novel of legacy, identity, the American family-and the ways that race affects even our most intimate relationships.
A community in the Piedmont of North Carolina rises in outrage as a county initiative draws students from the largely Black east side of town into predominantly white high schools on the west. For two students, Gee and Noelle, the integration sets off a chain of events that will tie their two families together in unexpected ways over the span of the next twenty years.
On one side of the integration debate is Jade, Gee’s steely, ambitious mother. In the aftermath of a harrowing loss, she is determined to give her son the tools he’ll need to survive in America as a sensitive, anxious, young Black man. On the other side is Noelle’s headstrong mother, Lacey May, a white woman who refuses to see her half-Latina daughters as anything but white. She strives to protect them as she couldn’t protect herself from the influence of their charming but unreliable father, Robbie.
When Gee and Noelle join the school play meant to bridge the divide between new and old students, their paths collide, and their two seemingly disconnected families begin to form deeply knotted, messy ties that will shape the trajectory of their adult lives. And their mothers-each determined to see her child inherit a better life-will make choices that will haunt them for decades to come.
As love is built and lost, and the past never too far behind, What’s Mine and Yours is an expansive, vibrant tapestry that moves between the years, from the foothills of North Carolina, to Atlanta, Los Angeles, and Paris. It explores the unique organism that is every family: what breaks them apart and how they come back together.
Why I Decided to Read this Book
This was one of my most anticipated books of the year! I first heard about it as a recommendation from one of my favorite authors Elizabeth Acevedo. This was also Jenna’s Book Club pick for March.
Rating
3.5 Stars (Check out my rating system!)
My Thoughts
I don’t know how to explain very well how I felt about this book. It is literary fiction, which means it is heavy in character development and not plot. It took me about 3 weeks to read because it is slow paced. However, I really enjoyed the story. I think the synopsis is a little misleading so don’t read much about it before reading it. The synopsis mentions that there is a school integration issue as part of the story but that is not much of the plot. It is something that happens but it’s not really part of the plot of the story, I wanted more of that.
One of the things I liked about the book was the writing, Coster is very talented and I enjoyed the multiple timelines/point of views. The story covers the topics of cultural and implicit bias, how our childhood shapes who we are, interracial relationships and classism. It is a very thought provoking book and probably good for a book club discussion.
I had high expectations of this book, it was one of my most anticipated books of the year and it was a Read with Jenna pick. Overall I think it is a good book but not one that I loved.
Gist
You can check out the full gist here and you can sign up for Readerly here!
Content Warnings
Gun violence, racism, addiction, abortion, infidelity, miscarriage, grief, terminal illness, toxic relationship
Who I Recommend this Book to
This is for the literary fiction lovers and those that enjoy complex family dynamics stories. It reminded me of the book Ask Again, Yes so if you enjoyed that one you’ll like this one.
Get the Book!
Did this review of What’s Mine and Yours convince you to read it? Check out the links below to order it from Bookshop.org and libro.fm. Please consider ordering it from a Black owned independent bookstore. This list of Black owned independent bookstores accepts online ordering.
If you’ve read this book let me know your thoughts in the comments!
Literary fiction always takes me longer to read! But beautiful writing can make it worth it! Also I just looked more closely at the book cover and realized the design is made of faces! Love it.