Augusta, antropóloga formada por uma prestigiada universidade, volta a sua casa para o funeral do pai. Coincidentemente, seu trabalho de pesquisa acadêmica centra-se em rituais funerários de várias culturas, uma tentativa de desvendar o mistério do luto e a dor quase infinita da perda. Numa viagem no metrô, ela reencontra Sylvia, uma velha amiga ― e um caldeirão de reminiscências passa a fervilhar em sua mente e aquecer seu coração. A história de Augusta começa em 1973, quando aos oito anos de idade ela se muda para o Brooklyn ― um enclave multicultural de Nova York com uma dinâmica comunidade afro-americana e vastas populações de imigrantes de todo o planeta. Lá, ela descobre o poder e o conforto da amizade feminina, enfrentando a transição da adolescência para a vida adulta. O encontro com a amiga de longa data põe em movimento a memória da década de 1970, transportando-a para um tempo e um lugar onde os laços de afeto representavam tudo para ela. Uma época em que a música pop tocada no rádio dava o tom da vida emocional, e os programas de tv ilustravam, com cores psicodélicas, a paisagem cultural de crianças e adolescentes. Para Augusta e suas três amigas ― Sylvia, Angela e Gigi ―, que compartilhavam confidências enquanto andavam pelas ruas do bairro, o Brooklyn era um lugar onde garotas bonitas, talentosas, alegres e brilhantes pareciam enxergar um futuro luminoso. Mas sob o verniz da esperança havia um outro Brooklyn, um lugar verdadeiramente perigoso em que homens mais velhos procuravam meninas em corredores escuros de prédios populares, fantasmas assombravam à noite e mães desapareciam de um dia para outro. ( )

“Something about the curve of our lips and the sway of our heads suggested more to strangers than we understood...”

“When you’re fifteen, pain skips over reason, aims right for marrow.”

I hate to be repetitive, loving everything I read, but I'm pretty circumspect about ordering books touted by people I respect. Ron Charles of The Washington Post sent me to [book:Another Brooklyn|27213163] https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/another-brooklyn-by-jacquelin...
Heartfelt story of a young girl growing up without a mother but with close relationships with her brother and her teen friends in changing 1970's Brooklyn. It read like a memoir and I had to check again to be sure it was fiction. Descriptions made your heart ache for those young girls and their dreams. Lovely writing with echoes of sadness yet hopeful, too, for their futures. ( )

Such a beautiful read. I’ve never read a story that was so wonderfully and perfectly told with so few words. The author does an amazing job of creating a story that is so vivid and real using just the right words and sentence structure...it’s hard for me to express. The whole story flowed very beautifully and although it is a work of fiction, it did read like a memoir. ( )

Read this for my book club. Ugh. So the book was 100-odd pages and within that there were at least 3 pages that were coherent. Did I say pages? I meant paragraphs. 3 paragraphs that were ok. The rest of it was time poorly spent.

Let me quote from page 166:

"When did you realize your mother was actually dead?
Sister Sonja would ask again months later.
Never. Every day. Yesterday. Right at this moment."

I'm lost. I do not enjoy this type of writing.

Front cover describes it as a fever dream. Yep, accurate. In the future, I'll select a book written after the author has recovered from her fever. In all fairness, I read that the author received a MacArthur Genius Grant, so obviously she is highly regarded. But I have no plans to try another of this author's books - at least, not one written for adults which I understand is unusual for her. I'd be willing to try one of the books she is well-known for: children and young adult books.
( )

Gorgeous writing, memorable characters, stunning insights into growing up 'Girl' in Brooklyn in the 1970s. I'm giving this five stars even though I wanted to know so much more about the characters, especially Sylvia and Angela.

I have a bunch of random thoughts...

We are going to talk about [b:Each Kindness|13588082|Each Kindness|Jacqueline Woodson|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1361368608s/13588082.jpg|19175480] at my children's book club today and, thinking about these books side by side, it seems like August not being there for Gigi is analogous in some ways to Chloe shunning Maya. Sometimes you don't get a second chance to be a friend.

As the mother of a daughter, this book is kind of terrifying. The four young girls in this book are objectified in so many ways. They seem to be constantly at risk.

The story of August's family losing their land and their golden son to the US government was powerful. Not only because of how it specifically hurts August's mother but because it illustrates more broadly how good, hardworking people can be crushed by this world.

I listened to the audiobook. I had a little trouble with Sylvia vs. Sonja at first, but I'm glad I stuck with the audiobook. The narrator had a wonderful voice and spoke with great expression, even though she didn't do much to distinguish between the characters (exception: Sylvia's father because he had an accent).

Like the narrator (and probably a lot of people), I have trouble with painful memories. The last line of the first paragraph is: "I know now that what is tragic isn't the moment. It is the memory." And personally I feel the truth of this.

I will read anything by Jacqueline Woodson. Her talent is a treasure. ( )