The Fledglings

by David Homel

[Lianne]

I won a paperback copy of this novel courtesy of the GoodReads First Reads programme. This review in its entirety was originally posted at caffeinatedlife.net: http://www.caffeinatedlife.net/blog/2014/06/26/review-the-fledglings/

The Fledglings tells an interesting tale of Bluma’s childhood, growing up in Prohibition-era Chicago and all of the experiences associated with that time of her life. While Bluma’s experiences is the central story, this book is also pretty generational as it also looks at Bluma’s parents and how they met and came to the United States, and Bluma’s son Joey and his life and experiences.

There are a lot of conflicted and broken relationships and families in this novel, but at the same time it shows how the characters managed for form strong relationships outside. Bluma’s friendship with her cousin Bella I think helped out immensely. The fledglings in the title referred to the two of them, the songs they sang and the times they shared before their lives and experiences diverged. Women like Esther from Bluma’s work also made up for some of the discussions and foundations that Bluma was missing in her mother.

From a women’s lit perspective, this book has chock full of interesting details because as Bluma grows up, she learns about the world and the choices that are available for her as a woman. Her parents came from a very conservative society and the woman’s place was very different from the options and upbringing she had in the United States; the reader quickly gains a sense that Bluma is not the type of person to be locked down in any one role. This is very much a coming-of-age story, touching along many themes and issues along the way.

I do have to note though that while this book was well-written with interesting characters, fantastic conflict with consequences, and good storytelling, there is something that is keeping me from raving about it fully (kind of like what happened with me and A Tale for the Time Being). Nonetheless, I found it to be an interesting read and I recommend this book for readers of women’s lit, readers who enjoy reading a book with an interesting female lead characters, and readers who enjoy reading about some serious family drama.

Actual rating: 3.5/5