Review of Darling Girl

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Oluoma Chukwu
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Review of Darling Girl

Post by Oluoma Chukwu »

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Darling Girl" by Terry H Watkins.]
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4 out of 5 stars
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Darling Girl by Terry H Watkins is the story of a little girl. The story follows her and her family as she grows from a little girl to a young adult. DG, a little girl, soon realizes that her mom doesn't just go away occasionally but for a reason. Forced to grow up by herself despite being surrounded by a bunch of extended relatives, DG constantly has to step in to either take care of her younger siblings or prevent her mama from another disaster.

With an absent, workaholic father who drags them traveling from time to time, DG's childhood is full of different experiences, all shaped by a mentally ill mother and a bullying dad. From feeding the chickens on a cattle farm to the severe apartheid in South Africa, DG struggles to fit in while trying to please her parents and be the child she was brought up to be. This is until a comment one day from her father permanently changes the way she views him. Torn between being the obedient, docile daughter she had been trained to be and a young adult tired and full of rage, DG tries to find her own path in life.

This book had some positive aspects I appreciated. I enjoyed reading the book from the young girl's perspective and viewing the world from the eyes of a little girl. I also loved that this book shows how abuse and dysfunction in the family could shape and affect a child's life. We watch DG grow without indulging in certain behaviors or thinking like her peers. She always had to do more and think ahead rather than just be a little girl.

While reading this book, we didn't get to learn the main character's full name throughout the book. We learned just the initials, which were told way into the book. I was not too fond of this as it was a bit unsettling. I would have also appreciated more flesh to the way the book ended. I found it a bit too abrupt. Also, while I understood that the high level of racism I saw in the book was a result of the time and location the book was set in, it was a bit uncomfortable for me to read.

I give this book a rating of four out of five stars. I think this book is a beautiful book to read, and it was beautifully written despite what I disliked hence the high rating. I removed a star from my rating because of the abovementioned negative aspects.

I would recommend this book to anyone that likes historical fiction. I also recommend it to anyone interested in family dysfunction and how it affects children.

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Darling Girl
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zynnyresource_
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Post by zynnyresource_ »

The book cover caught my attention, and I'm saddened by what DG had to go through in this story. Growing up with emotionally and physically unavailable parents is tough.
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Nqobile Mashinini Tshabalala
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Post by Nqobile Mashinini Tshabalala »

DG was forced to grow up too quickly, but I hope her childhood didn't scar her. Thanks for the review!
Documented history is a gift from the past to the future! - NqobileM
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