One Blood isn't the easiest read, dealing as it does with themes such as racial discrimination/segregation, human rights, loss, misogyny, domestic abuse, sexual violence, abortion and shaming. With blood also acting as both a literal and metaphorical theme, perhaps it would have been better too if there was some more light (where possible) among the darkness experienced by the three main characters whose complex stories could have been turned into individual books rather than back-to-back-to-back narratives, with the first two stories of Grace (and her beloved grandmother Maw Maw) and Lolo possibly forgotten by the time you get to Rae's tale.
That said, the personal history of the author enables the book to be written from a position of understanding and passion, while the heavy detail also helps to bring the setting and period from the Great Migration through to the 1960s civil unrest and early 2000s cultural shift to life - as does the use of native vernacular for characters such as Maw Maw. Another plus is the eye-catching, Cubist front cover, which ties in with the multiple points of view on offer throughout the novel.
That said, the personal history of the author enables the book to be written from a position of understanding and passion, while the heavy detail also helps to bring the setting and period from the Great Migration through to the 1960s civil unrest and early 2000s cultural shift to life - as does the use of native vernacular for characters such as Maw Maw. Another plus is the eye-catching, Cubist front cover, which ties in with the multiple points of view on offer throughout the novel.