Rating: 
Summary: Should be on all mandatory reading lists for high school!
Review: Everyone should have to read this book as part of their education. American literature, American history, civil rights;this story of growing up black and being transported to "passing" for white during adolescence should be required reading for all ages. The fact that the time period is relatively current and the backdrop of both urban and rural environments invites the reader to evaluate their own belief
structure. Don't ask questions, just open CAUCASIA and read it!
Rating:
Summary: Fifth time
Review: This is my fifth time reading Caucasia, and I love it more each time. This is the story of two biracal sisters who are best friends. Cole is the older, sister, and Birdie the younger sister. The two are seprated when, their mother think's she is in trouble with the goverment. Cole, goes with her father, and Birdie with her mother because she is lighter enough to pass for white. The story is told through Birdie's eyes. Birdie hates that she has to pass, and miss her sister more everyday. Cole is determined to find her father and sister again. Cole has always felt that she didn't have a place in her father's heart because she looked white. A Great story.
Rating:
Summary: I didn't want it to end...
Review: This happens to be one of the best books I've read in a while. There was a big to do about it in our town and though I'd seen the book many times before, all the "noise" made about it, I picked it up one day. I tore through it. I was hooked from the beginning. Many aspects of Cole's (the main character's) life were similar to my own and I enjoyed the relationsip between Cole and Birdie (her sister). The book is told through Cole's eyes, in true to life form. It begins when she is a child and ends when she is a young woman, taking you through the years of her life.Cole's life is tangles with racism, family issues, love, alcoholism and much more. It is not a fairy tale, but more like non-fiction. Senna's prose is easy to digest, making this a nice book to read at any time. Be prepared to get hooked on the characters. I was genuinely sad when this ended and once I reached the last page, I immediately began to thumb through the book again, wanting more. Then, I passed it on to my mother to read.
Rating: 
Summary: shawn marshall
Review: Caucasia, March 22, 2002
Reviewer: Shawn Marshall
This book is very good and really shows true family values. Caucasia is about an interracial family who has to separate because of the hard times of racism. The father is an African American male, while the mother is from New England and has light skin and straight hair. They have two daughters; the older daughter is Cole and she takes after her father. Birdie, their other daughter, is three years younger than Cole and takes after their New England mother. The book was very interesting and easy to read. If you like books about family struggles and interracial families, this is the book for you. You will not only like it, but you will learn to appreciate your family as well.
Rating:
Summary: Caucasia Review
Review: Caucasia is a very good book. The characters are very realistic and many people can relate to them. I think that is very interesting how Birdie and her sister, Cole, have their own language. It shows that they are very close, but later on they start to grow apart because of age difference and appearence. I can mostly relate to Birdie, because I am also biracial and my looks also lean more toward the Cacasian side. She is a very funny and curious character and very thoughtful. This book is a great example of racism between separate races and also between the same race.
Rating:
Summary: Passable
Review: An excellent work on passing, Senna paints the world of African-American culture and racism, making it accessible to those from other cultures. We see how the different shades of skin color effect one's life, even within the African-American community, and the interplay of what it means to be Black verses African-American. What makes someone Black? What makes them African-American? As in the movie Running On Empty, Senna also shows us a vivid psychological portrait of constant forced movement. With the exception of some unfortunate lesbian tangents that detract from the storyline, a highly recommendable book.
Rating:
Summary: Good writing, old subject
Review: I really enjoyed Senna's writing. I love rich description. Birdie is 6 years older than I am, and I remember some of those fashion trends quite vividly! The only drawback to this book is its tired old subject matter. Come on, how many books do we need on passing? Why are people STILL fascinated by it? And why is there so little on Cole? I would have loved to hear more from her perspective. How would this book -- and its reception be different if the story were told from her viewpoint? Or the father's?
Rating:
Summary: (...)
Review: This is the best book to explain and understand family values and realitionship between the family members. Danzy clearly illustrats the bonding between two sisters, and how important it is for the family to stay togather while childeren are young. This book also describes the problems one had to go through if a couple was of two different races just a couple of years ago. And how difficult it is for the childeren to adjust to an enviroment of hte school where you are the only white. Later in the book Danzy also tells how difficult it is for a young a child to hide its idantity from its friends, and tell them you are somebody that you are not.
Rating: 
Summary: caucasia
Review: This book by Danzy Senna is good. Its about a biracial girl whos life is turned upside down when her parents split up. Ans even more when her mother taked her away telling her that they have to run from the feds. This is after her black father takes her darker sister and his new girl to Brazil. This a good comming of age story. Is her mother really running from the feds or is she just running to escape her feelings for her husdand, herself, or her curent situation?????????????
Rating:
Summary: Amazing
Review: The first thing that srtikes me about this book is not so much about race or politics or plot, but the incredible beauty of the langauge. The novel is narrated by an adolescent, and her voice shines through the prose. The imagery and attention to detail are amazing and pull readers into scenes out of Birdie's lifetime. The story flows so smoothly that I stayed up two nights in a row, reading it through, and then reading it through again. Danzy Senna is an incredibly talented writer, you cans ee , smell and feel every word. I had to suspend my reading at times during the first night because senna had so vividly captured my own memories and emotions about race and family. Plotwise the story is interesting and involved , although there are holes in some places they don't really detract from the story's enjoyability. I like the fact that the novel leaves questions unanswered, it makes it more real. Not everything we want to know about our lives gets answered, and the fact that even once she's found some closure, birdie has to live with mysteries is a much truer ending than some phony resolution that ties up the loose ends. Still, some things do seem unreasonable, and the ending is a bit of a letdown. Regardless, it's a beautiful book that will pull you into other worlds and leave you with meaningful questions.
|
