Review: Raisins in Milk by David Covin

Synopsis: This is a coming of age novel of a Black girl, Ruth-Ann Weathering, born in Mandarin Florida in 1900. It traces events from 1913 – 1920. (from the online description)

Review: In his introduction, Covin stated that Toni Morrison read this manuscript in 1977. He claimed she loved the story but told him the “characters seem thinner and more conventional then they are”. Covin said he spent the intervening years addressing that issue.

Sadly, I don’t think Covin accomplished this. The story follows Ruth-Ann from her girlhood into motherhood. However, she remains flat. We are told she is intelligent, but she never behaves as such. The other characters, with perhaps the exception of Stephen, are caricatures, stereotypes, of characters – the Mammy, the Dominating Mother, the Black Female Healer, the Nice White Family, the Racist White Drunk, the Lynch Mob, the Loyal Black Servant, etc. Stephen as a bit more depth, but only barely, and he stays mostly in-line with the others.

This might have been overcome if the narrative had sense. But it felt more like vignettes, a patchwork of half-formed prose, as if the author could never decide which direction he wished the story  to go. Characters were introduced and given prominent roles in the narrative for a few chapters only to completely disappear. Other characters were introduced as passing names to later surface as pivotal points. This created a disjointed narrative that failed to hold the interest of the reader. Just as you would get into the plot, it would shift, leaving the reader lost.

Additionally, the story made no use of the setting. Covin failed to capture Florida at the turn-of-the-century, or even, Florida at all. This could have taken place in any town in the Deep South with no noticeable change. Good writing makes the setting as vital to the story as any character or plot. Florida is a unique land, strange and magical, that shapes the people who live under her bright burning sun. While I cannot speak to Covin’s life, it felt as if he had never truly been to Florida. He failed to capture to splendid harshness and vast beauty of that land.

Covin’s work never rises about bland mediocrity, settling to use fancy prose and clichéd stereotypes as plot points. He could have done much with the concept, but sadly, even time could not improve the story read by Ms. Morrison so long ago.

Notes: I received this book free as part LibraryThing's Early Review Program, in exchange for my fair and honest opinion

Bookmarks: 2.5 of 5

Awards: None

ISBN: 978-0-9844350-7-4
Year Published: 2018
Date Read: 2-10-2018
Pages: 237