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A review by caoilo
Black Sheep by Sabrina Pace-Humphreys
5.0
Thank you to NetGalley and Quercus for an e-ARC of this book for an honest review.
TW/CW: Death, Racism, Nationalism, Murder, Mental Illness.
Life is hard in 80's England as a poor child, on benefits and being raised by one parent. The fact that Sabrina's Scottish family judge her as an outcast, simply for being born in England, is disgusting enough, add to that the fact she is mixed race and you have a recipe for an extremely racist, abusive and lonely childhood.
As a child Sabrina grows up wanting to be the same as other little girls but she quickly realizes that is not going to happen. From setting her little heart on a crown usually won by little white girls, to being as an adult woman left by white men to die.
Of course given the full title it is obvious that Pace-Humphreys suffers from racism growing up, and while that is the main focus of the book it covers so much more. The fight to love freely regardless of any social barriers. The hate within family, desertion by her father, abandonment by almost everyone, love, nationality, racial identity, betrayal, self worth,an almost emotional absenteeism and parentification by her mother, death and murder. It is also full of hope for the future, new friendships and finding a place you can feel excepted.
This book is a tough read no doubt about that. When I started the Prologue I had to stop reading the book for a few days. Anyone with half a heart would have multiple feelings at the mere mention of the name George Floyd and for me I just couldn't get pasted the first two pages.
Still after a few days I pushed though my initial urge to get away from the book. I believe it was the fear that made me not want to read this book. You see I have a POC in my life, one I care for an extreme amount, and when Mr Floyd died I had nightmares about this happening to my loved one. We do not live in the US, in fact we live in Ireland, but as Peace-Humphreys says about her English home "this town is racist."
Regardless, I started to read the book again. I found Sabrina to be unbelievably honest in her work. Not only about the words and actions of others but about what she did, said and thought. Given just how much she had been though, the childhood abuse, abandonment by her father, the other-ing by her extended family and her isolation of race in her neighborhood, not to mention peoples treatment of her as an adult, I can't believe she is such a positive and outgoing person.
Running may not be for you, it certainly isn't for me, yet somehow Sabrina makes it an interesting subject. I didn't find myself rolling my eyes, yawning or skipping ahead just to get past parts. It was actually the other way. Not only did I not feel annoyed or bored I felt envious. Peace-Humphreys had such a way with description I actually wished I was there, except for the fall (if you know you know.)
This work was an emotional roller coaster but I'm glad I got on. I didn't feel like I had so much read a book as made a friend. Speaking of friends that last story was heart breaking I was so angry at the betrayal Sabrina suffered.
I think this book does a good job of reminding us, it doesn't matter who your parents are, if you are rich or poor, white or POC, man, woman or any other gender, your nationality, your orientation, we are all human and human life matters.
Actually it reminds us that Black Lives Matter.
TW/CW: Death, Racism, Nationalism, Murder, Mental Illness.
Life is hard in 80's England as a poor child, on benefits and being raised by one parent. The fact that Sabrina's Scottish family judge her as an outcast, simply for being born in England, is disgusting enough, add to that the fact she is mixed race and you have a recipe for an extremely racist, abusive and lonely childhood.
As a child Sabrina grows up wanting to be the same as other little girls but she quickly realizes that is not going to happen. From setting her little heart on a crown usually won by little white girls, to being as an adult woman left by white men to die.
Of course given the full title it is obvious that Pace-Humphreys suffers from racism growing up, and while that is the main focus of the book it covers so much more. The fight to love freely regardless of any social barriers. The hate within family, desertion by her father, abandonment by almost everyone, love, nationality, racial identity, betrayal, self worth,an almost emotional absenteeism and parentification by her mother, death and murder. It is also full of hope for the future, new friendships and finding a place you can feel excepted.
This book is a tough read no doubt about that. When I started the Prologue I had to stop reading the book for a few days. Anyone with half a heart would have multiple feelings at the mere mention of the name George Floyd and for me I just couldn't get pasted the first two pages.
Still after a few days I pushed though my initial urge to get away from the book. I believe it was the fear that made me not want to read this book. You see I have a POC in my life, one I care for an extreme amount, and when Mr Floyd died I had nightmares about this happening to my loved one. We do not live in the US, in fact we live in Ireland, but as Peace-Humphreys says about her English home "this town is racist."
Regardless, I started to read the book again. I found Sabrina to be unbelievably honest in her work. Not only about the words and actions of others but about what she did, said and thought. Given just how much she had been though, the childhood abuse, abandonment by her father, the other-ing by her extended family and her isolation of race in her neighborhood, not to mention peoples treatment of her as an adult, I can't believe she is such a positive and outgoing person.
Running may not be for you, it certainly isn't for me, yet somehow Sabrina makes it an interesting subject. I didn't find myself rolling my eyes, yawning or skipping ahead just to get past parts. It was actually the other way. Not only did I not feel annoyed or bored I felt envious. Peace-Humphreys had such a way with description I actually wished I was there, except for the fall (if you know you know.)
This work was an emotional roller coaster but I'm glad I got on. I didn't feel like I had so much read a book as made a friend. Speaking of friends that last story was heart breaking I was so angry at the betrayal Sabrina suffered.
I think this book does a good job of reminding us, it doesn't matter who your parents are, if you are rich or poor, white or POC, man, woman or any other gender, your nationality, your orientation, we are all human and human life matters.
Actually it reminds us that Black Lives Matter.