I first spent time with Ibi Zoboi when I read American Street, a book my son got me for my birthday. And I was blown away by the way her characters lived and loomed larger than the pages they inhabited. So when I saw Pride I had to have a copy. I got a signed copy from the special batch of signed edition books that came into work, hey I work at Barnes and Noble now, I never get tired of saying that!!
I love Pride and Prejudice so right away I had high hopes for this book. It was so much more than I hoped or imagined. The last book I (tried) to read that was a reboot of P&P was just awful and I gave up on it, Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld. He made his version of Elizabeth was just really unlikable and that should not be the case!!! As my friend and coworker Marissa pointed out, it was written by a man. But given how much I liked Ibi's writing I was sure she would not make the same mistake, and she didn't. From the first paragraph on the first page I loved Zuri!!!
Not only did Ibi stay true to the spirit of Jane Austen's work, she also made the story completely her own. I was born in raised in Brooklyn and she made my hometown come alive and it was as much a character and the Darcy boys and Benitez girls.
The moments of Zuri's poetry were so incredibly powerful. Watching her and Darius grown and learn and fall, it was worthy of Elizabeth and her Mr. Darcy!!!
Ripe with real talk on being true to yourself, an authentic voice, the beat of love and life in a family that isn't anything you think a "hood" family would be, and so much rich layering, this one will go on my short list of books I reread every so often!!
(Finished December 14, 2018)
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