This book is set in Flax Hill, Massachusetts during the 1950's and centers around 3 characters in a supposed retelling of Snow White: Boy, Snow, and Bird.At the age of 20, Boy runs away from home to escape her violent and unpredictable father. She ends up in Flax Hill, where she settles into a loveless marriage to Arturo Whitman, father to a beautiful and doted upon daughter named Snow. Boy quickly gives birth to a second daughter, Bird. To Boy's surprise, Bird is black. Arturo's family secret is revealed- the Whitmans are black, and they carefully hide this fact in order to avoid segregation and prejudice, striving to be "white" and exiling those in the family line that can't hide their heritage. The Whitmans urge Boy to send Bird away; however, jealous that Snow is doted upon and Bird is an embarrassment despite their shared ancestry due to the shade of their skins, Boy decides to send Snow away to live with relatives instead. As Bird grows up, she wonders about her exiled sister, tries to understand her mother, and questions the mysteries of her family and race. While the premise of this book is full of promise, it ultimately does not deliver. The issue of race is woven throughout the novel, but it is never addressed with a bang, leaving the reader with a vague sense of curiosity and confusion at the end of the book. Characters and plotline aren't fully developed or easy to connect with. The last-minute epiphany about Boy's father seem to detract from rather than add to the statement that the author was attempting to make. I can't recommend taking the time to read it. An interesting take on the snow white tale, which views the idea of "Snow White" from a racial perspective. I really enjoyed the magic-realism elements, and I intend to read this author's other work. The ending was a surprise to me, and honestly I'm not sure how I felt about it... It may have dropped my review by a star...I wish the Massachusetts setting had been a little more researched/brought into the plot. One of the reasons I picked up the book is because I was interested in seeing a story about race in small-town Massachusetts, where I grew up and which is a mostly white area... but the book didn't really discuss that at all. I thought that it really could have been set in any small town in America.I read this on my Kindle, via my library.
What do You think about Boy, Snow, Bird (2014)?
I loved the way this was written but I wish there was more. A lot more. Preferably a sequel?
—Buttercup
This was a disappointing book for me, and never held my interest at a high level.
—Jace
this book was very amazing. it did meet the expectations i had for it
—pokemon
I couldnt put this book down It was far to compelling.
—Jazzie
