underwhelming ending

3.75 stars. This book had been on my too read list for some time now so I was glad that an online book club chose it for January. I liked this book better than the authors other work Leaving Atlanta. I found myself unable to put the book down after a while and finished it in less than two days.

I try not to read too many reviews and synopsis so that I can go in with a clear head and draw my own opinions. I did notice however that some of reviews said the work was unfinished or the author seemed to not know how to wrap it up etc. As I was reading it I kept thinking what were people talking about this seems pretty complete and then I got to the end and epilogue and was like, HUH?!?!?!? I got it then and agree wholeheartedly. The book wasn't even wrapped up or concluded it seemed to end mid-sentence/thought. So I thought Ok the epilogue will complete it, but still no. That didn't do much more. Is there an author interview somewhere that explains the reason for this?

Outside of the ending, the book was good. I thought the two person perspective via the daughters helped bring a different level of emotion to the story especially for Dana's character. I appreciated the author giving us a kind of start to present view into both sets of lives so we could better understand certain decisions and actions. I actually wished we could have known Dana's thoughts during part 2. I wanted to know what finally prompted her to really befriend her sister and tell her she loved her. What was she thinking when she was in their house and having the conversation in the salon with Laverne. How terrified she was in that scene at the gas station when she was held up in the bathroom.

I think uncle Rolley was very interesting also and I would have been curious to understand some of his inner turmoil more.

All in all a solid read except for the ending.

8 people found this helpful

A Big Disappointment

What disappointed you about Silver Sparrow?

The story line was predictable and not interesting. I picked this book because I really enjoyed her first book, Leaving Atlanta. However, I was so very disappointed this time around.

What do you think your next listen will be?

Something else from my already stocked library!

How did the narrator detract from the book?

No real problem with the narrator

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Silver Sparrow?

Everything after the Grandmother died or at least from the big party

Any additional comments?

Maybe Tayari can go back, review her Leaving Atlanta story, and write like that again!

5 people found this helpful

Enjoyed the read

Would you listen to Silver Sparrow again? Why?

Probably not. I enjoyed listening to it, but don't feel compelled to go back

What was one of the most memorable moments of Silver Sparrow?

When they got stuck at the gas station

What about Rosalyn Coleman Williams and Heather Alicia Simms ’s performance did you like?

I loved their voices

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I had a positive reaction but I would not call it extreme.

Any additional comments?

Characters could have been more fully developed. Also the ending was blah!

4 people found this helpful

Disappointing

I purchased the book for a long business trip drive. It started off engaging at first, but then realism seemed to be absent in the middle. Character development would have helped; in the end, I was wanting the story to end.

4 people found this helpful

Weak ending

I enjoyed the story and performance. But the ending lacked substance. No real resolution was included or deduced.

1 person found this helpful

playback speed

I enjoyed this book but only after I changed the playback speed to
1:10. The narrator was fantastic but only after I changed the playback speed.

1 person found this helpful

Didn't do it for me

I didn't enjoy this book. First the narration made me cringe. It got better only because I got used to it. It took a bit too long to get to the point. It just didn't work for me.

1 person found this helpful

A wonderfully thought provoking novel !

I read this book as the November read for the Modern Mrs. Darcy Book Club, I absolutely loved this book, I know it is different from her earlier „American Marriage“ which I absolutely enjoyed as well.

Set in Atlanta, 'Silver Sparrow' grabbed my attention from the first page and ensured that I read through the night to finish the story.
Just why did I find the story of a family in the 1980s so fascinating? Well, the story concerns the interconnected lives of Dana and Chaurisse, two young black girls, growing up in a time of great change and the fight for rights. Although Chaurisse is largely unaware, the two girls are half-sisters as they share a father, who in fact is a bigamist and married to both of their mothers. I read Elizabeth Acevedo‘s „Clap when you land“ this summer and loved discovering similarities and things the authors had done differently.
„Silver Sparrow“ is told by first the perspective of Dana and then Chaurisse as they look back on their lives and realise the roles played by their parents.

This book is a thought provoking novel which raises the questions of love and duty. Along with the roles enforced by society and how people react.
A wonderfully written book and well worth reading. I will be following up with more of Tayari Jones's work.

1 person found this helpful

Phenomenal!

Tayari Jones NEVER disappoints. This tale like her others is woven into the fabric of my heart. Tayari tells a seamless story about the complicated nature of love, life, and marriage. I can't wait to read what she does next.

1 person found this helpful

A Double Life

What a sleazebag! sadly there are too many men like that in real life! My sister and I didn't meet until we were both 20 years old. I saw so much of our story in this story, minus the bigamy and mind games. A great story overall, and I am a Tayari Jones fan.