kristinberry

The first section of Crushing Soft Rubies was very interesting. I really enjoyed the descriptions of Janet's different relationships with her parents when she was young. These relationships are something that her readers can identify with and therefore feel more connected to the author and the rest of the story.
Of course I found the narration of Janet's mother's death very emotional. This combined with the responsibility needed to take care of her father was heart breaking. However, what I found especially interesting was her beginning analysis of her own race. When she went to a predominantly white school, she never saw race as an issue. Yet when she was surrounded by people of color later in life she began to realize differences and similarities. I am guessing these sentiments are shared amongst many people of color. I was enthralled by Janet's discussion of "blackness," especially among her Filipino relatives, and I am coming to understand that this is also common in many Asian American families I know.
Unfortunately, I found at times that the author gave too much detail, especially about how many extra curricular things she was doing. This pulled away from the real story of her relationships with her parents. Also, there was unnecessary detail about various situations while she was living with extended family. I understand that she was trying to give readers her sense of desparity yet I felt the writing could have been conducted better.
Overall, I am intrigued by this first section and am looking forward to reading more which I am hoping focuses on her identity and not irrelevant material.