Book Report Monday

RE: Oranges are not the Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson. I finished reading this book a while ago and have not quite been able to figure out what to say about it. It's another book I ran across in the used bookstore. I recognized the author's name because Coodence has recommended her to me before. I knew nothing of this book nor its contents upon opening it, and I immediately fell in love with it. It's the story of a young girl growing up in a super-religious family and coming to terms with her differences with the "rest of the world" so to speak. I loved so much about this book. It was quirky, not predictable, non-judgmental, funny, sad, loving, and very very real. If that means anything at all. The way this book is written is absolutely phenomenal. The author somehow writes in a way that reflects how a pre-teen, teenager, young adult would perhaps talk to themselves or in a diary. I was absolutely blown away by how the dialogue progresses from the daughter absolutely accepting everything her mother does and says as truth to realizing her mother has faults, which are destroying her as a person. The main character is extremely perceptive, pointing out reasons for her mother's behavior, but not trying to make excuses. And, surprisingly, the book is not a study on why religions reject certain "types" of people. It is a study on how one character is isolated and ostracized for a trait she cannot control. I found this book touching and reality based, although none of the events that occur in the book have actually happened to me. I think we can all identify with not getting along with loved ones, discovering things about yourself you never realized, and forging a path on our own without the support of our families. My only complaint is that the book was too short. I would have liked to know more about the character's life after. My advice? Read it. You won't be disappointed.