(5/7/2023)
"Take My Hand" by Dolen Perkins-Valdez is a novel that explores the complex relationships between women in the context of a small Southern town during the civil rights era. The story centers around three women: Gladys, a wealthy white woman who is struggling with her marriage and her place in society; June, a young black woman who has moved to the town to escape her troubled past; and Cille, a middle-aged black woman who has spent her whole life in the town and is deeply rooted in its traditions and social norms.
The novel is a beautifully written exploration of the tensions and conflicts that arise when different cultures and worldviews collide. Perkins-Valdez does an excellent job of capturing the nuances of the relationships between the three women and the ways in which their lives intersect and overlap.
The characters are well-drawn and complex, and the author does an excellent job of exploring their motivations and desires. The writing is lyrical and evocative, and the novel is filled with vivid descriptions of the Southern landscape and its people.
Overall, "Take My Hand" is a powerful and thought-provoking novel that explores important themes of race, class, and gender in a way that is both sensitive and nuanced. Highly recommended for fans of literary fiction and historical fiction alike.