By Samantha Picaro
Kin is a historical fiction novel by Tayari Jones. It follows two young women, Annie and Vernice, who grew up without mothers. The setting is in the American South during the 1950’s and 1960’s. Annie was abandoned by her mother and raised by her grandmother, while Vernice’s aunt Irene raised her after Vernice’s father killed Vernice’s mother. Vernice and Annie’s paths diverge when Vernice attends a historically Black women’s college while Annie searches for her mother in Memphis.
One reason I recommend this novel is for its complex characters who are not necessarily good or bad; just human. Everyone has the same goal: to obtain and maintain dignity in a world that often denies it. Annie travels with three friends and becomes friends with a woman who started as a rival. Vernice meets wealthy Black families, befriends powerful women, and marries into a wealthy family. The people Vernice and Annie meet help them mature and either support or disprove their assumptions about motherhood and what it means to be a woman.
The title itself speaks to one of the book's themes: family, both biological and chosen. Annie and Vernice bond with and rely on people who become like family. Family impacts the choices Vernice and Annie make. They affect the way they view themselves. The book explores how people are compared to their parents and how Vernice and Annie try to fight back against comparisons, even as they compare themselves to their mothers. Another theme is the tension between temptation and following the rules. Annie constantly gives in to the temptation to find her mother, while Vernice does what is expected of her to gain a better life: finish college and marry a good husband.
In the historical fiction genre, the time period greatly shapes the plot. Racism, misogyny, and classism impact the opportunities available to the characters. Readers will think about how much has changed and how much work still needs to be done regarding certain issues.
Fans of the following tropes will find them in Kin: road trip, new school, and lifelong friendship. It is perfect for anyone who enjoys stories about female friendships. The story focuses not only on the friendship between the main characters but also on their relationships with other female characters. Some concepts, like found family and sisterhood, are timeless.
