Books: Family Tree by Barbara Delinsky
Enjoyable, yet infuriating, Family Tree is the story of two white people, Hugh and Dana, who have a baby “with African-American features”. Being a book that makes such an emphasis on Hugh’s family going back to the Mayflower and Dana’s not knowing her father, well obviously everyone (except Dana) freaks out.
No one is going to grant this book awards but at the same time, I couldn’t put it down. Hugh pissed me off, although a small part of me sympathized. I should have caught the outcome but didn’t. And why did we need the Earl and Corinne story lines? Unnecessary.
The discussion of what it means to be African-American was rather pathetic. As someone who is technically mixed race (1 quarter Ojibwa), the idea that these people raised and living their entire lives as blond haired white people suddenly begin to question their very selves and go around saying “I am African-American” was aggravating. If I was black and had read this book I would have found the whole thing patronizing and mildly offensive.
Ultimately what kept me reading was want to know the answer to the question of where Elizabeth’s dark skin came from. The result was mediocre, but I was pleased to know.
March 16th, 2009 at 9:53 pm
The question then is – is there more to being African American than skin colour? If so what and does this apply to the blond ones? There are many in every culture and sub-culture who cast out those who are not – dark enough, light enough, tall enough, short enough, gay enough, straight enough – because they could not possibly have an authentic experiential understanding of what it “really” means to be part of the culture.
March 16th, 2009 at 10:24 pm
That’s true, about people casting out those who are not “x enough” and perhaps that colours my perceptions of the characters in the book. As one who has been cast out for those reasons, I suppose I can’t help but do the same to others, fictional though they may be i.e. “If I don’t count, neither do you.”