'The Long, Long Afternoon' is a domestic thriller set in California in the late 1950s. It it told in three POVs: Ruby, a young Black house help who is set on going to college; Mick, a detective; and Joyce, the perfect housewife whose disappearance stars the story.
The writing style is simple and makes the whole novel an easy read. The story itself is compelling, even if quite predictable. I suppose that some twists surprised me because I am not a big thriller fan, but I'm wondering if they would have otherwise.
As a non-black reader, I cannot comment on Ruby from the topic of representation of the Black community. I can however say that she was my favourite character because of her strength and dedication, the way she cared for her family, and how she kept her mind set on her goal but without forgetting her values.
I thought Mick to be stereotypical detective and quite the prototype of the white saviour. His POV wasn't the most engaging but it wasn't bad to follow. The rest of the police station staff is so cartoonishly unprofessional it's comical.
I couldn't sympathise much with Joyce's characters. She had a sad story that led her to be who she ultimately was, but I had a bad feeling about her throughout the novel.
Trigger warnings (minor spoilers): Set in California in the late 1950s, 'The Long, Long Afternoon' contains racial language and prejudiced talk against the Black and Japanese community. It also contains abortion, cheating, gun violence, rape, graphic death, and other related possible triggering topics.
The writing style is simple and makes the whole novel an easy read. The story itself is compelling, even if quite predictable. I suppose that some twists surprised me because I am not a big thriller fan, but I'm wondering if they would have otherwise.
As a non-black reader, I cannot comment on Ruby from the topic of representation of the Black community. I can however say that she was my favourite character because of her strength and dedication, the way she cared for her family, and how she kept her mind set on her goal but without forgetting her values.
I thought Mick to be stereotypical detective and quite the prototype of the white saviour. His POV wasn't the most engaging but it wasn't bad to follow. The rest of the police station staff is so cartoonishly unprofessional it's comical.
I couldn't sympathise much with Joyce's characters. She had a sad story that led her to be who she ultimately was, but I had a bad feeling about her throughout the novel.
Trigger warnings (minor spoilers): Set in California in the late 1950s, 'The Long, Long Afternoon' contains racial language and prejudiced talk against the Black and Japanese community. It also contains abortion, cheating, gun violence, rape, graphic death, and other related possible triggering topics.