"Bastard out of Carolina"

Dorothy Allison’s “Bastard out of Carolina” is one of the best books that I have read in awhile. It is very hard for me to “love” a book, but Allison’s style and realness really grabs my attention. Books that deal with real issues that really delve into the topic really grab my attention, especially sensitive issues such as the abuse that Bone experienced.
Bone was a very intelligent and experienced person for such a young girl. Bone knew a lot of things that most people do not know about until they are much older. Bone’s family and surrounding environment were very honest with whatever was going on in their lives, especially the struggle they went through just to get by. Bone’s family’s financial situation was very bad, and always was her whole life, and she had to experience things that most children do not usually have to go through. I feel that this was the main reason that Bone knew more than most children her age know. Her mother, Anney, was very honest with her, and always let Bone know what was going on whether it was about their financial status or about the health of their family members. They had a big extended family, and all of the members of the family were in the same boat financially.
One main flaw that I have with Anney is her constant need for a man in her life. Anney had Bone at a younger age than most woman plan on having children, and does not even keep in touch with Bone’s father. Anney continues to fill this void of a man in her life, I think, for financial security. However, the men that Anney brings home are never good, and she is much better off without them. More specifically, is Anney’s brother’s friend, Glen. Glen and Anney eventually got married after a little time together, which was one of the biggest mistakes Anney could have made. I am not sure if Anney is aware of the sexual abuse that Glen imposes on Bone, but I feel it is impossible as a mother not to know when something is going on with your child. Anney is a good mother to Bone, and this is why I feel she must not know exactly what is bothering her daughter, because she is always looking out for the best thing for Bone. One main reason besides money that I think Anney stays with Glen is because she knows that he could make Bone’s birth certificate official since he eventually takes over both Bone and Reese’s custody as a father. Dorothy Allison was very descriptive when it came to explaining the abuse that Bone experienced, which added to the realness. So far, Bone has experienced not only too much mentally that most children her age do not have to experience, but also physically. The physical abuse that Glen performs on Bone is absolutely disgusting and disturbing to think that someone who is supposed to be a “father figure” could ever do something like this to anyone, especially a “daughter.” This was a very different perspective of the southern lifestyle, but I do not feel the actions had anything to do with the location of where they live. I feel that an experience such as this could occur anywhere; in the north, south, west or east. I do not think Allison’s intentions were to exactly tear apart the south as a whole with this example of them living in the south, but it was interesting to see Allison’s connections to southern lifestyle. Clearly, Glen is not the ordinary southern gentlemen, nor was he rich, nor did he own slaves, or anything of that matter.
I feel that Dorothy Allison’s “Bastard out of Carolina” is, so far, a great book that tells of the realness of a child’s experience growing up in the south with little money. I feel that due to the amount of negative things that took place in Bone’s young life, there is only hope for goodness in the future. I am hoping that by the duration of this novel, Bone will be happy and successful in her future endeavors.