Fifteen-year-old Esch watches as her older brother Skeetah’s prize-fighting dog, China, gives birth to a litter of puppies. It is her first litter, and the labor is difficult and gory. Esch’s seven-year-old brother Junior is eager to watch, and despite efforts to keep him away, their Daddy insists he’s old enough. Earlier, Daddy warned them about an approaching hurricane in their Mississippi Gulf town. The puppies’ birth involves both life and death, and Esch reflects on her crush, Manny, comparing their love to Greek mythology.<\/p>\n
The next day, Skeetah builds a kennel for the puppies while Esch hunts for chicken eggs. Later, they go to town for dog food, and Esch shoplifts a pregnancy test. Back home, she discovers she is pregnant with Manny’s baby. Skeetah shows her the puppies nursing, but the sight makes Esch vomit. Manny’s friends plan to hang out, and they find themselves involved in a car accident on the way back. Esch reveals her pregnancy to Manny, who rejects her.<\/p>\n
Skeetah discovers one puppy is sick, and Esch spends the day with him. That night, they hang out in the woods, and Skeetah euthanizes the sick puppy. Esch makes a move on Manny, but he rejects her. The next day, Skeetah plans to use his grandparents’ linoleum for the shed floor. Esch accompanies him on an adventure to steal cow wormer. The plan goes awry, leading to a confrontation with a white family and a dog fight. Skeetah’s dog, China, wins.<\/p>\n
Daddy warns about Hurricane Katrina, and preparations are made. Esch reveals her pregnancy to Skeetah, who insists on bringing China and the puppies inside. The hurricane hits, causing flooding. Daddy loses fingers in an accident, and China kills one of her puppies. The family seeks refuge in the attic, but it floods, leading to a perilous escape. Esch loses some puppies in the process.<\/p>\n
After the storm, Skeetah searches for China. The family seeks shelter at Big Henry’s house, and Esch confirms her pregnancy. The town is devastated, but Skeetah insists on waiting for China’s return. The narrative concludes with a poignant moment around a fire, where Esch imagines China recognizing her as a fellow mother.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
“Salvage the Bones” by Jesmyn Ward is a compelling novel set in rural Mississippi before Hurricane Katrina. The story revolves around the Batiste family, with a focus on 14-year-old Esch. The narrative explores themes of poverty, love, and the looming threat of disaster. Ward’s writing skillfully depicts the challenges faced by a family teetering on the edge, creating a poignant and gripping tale.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":149318,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false},"product_cat":[90,104],"product_tag":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/freesecondhandbooks.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product\/149317"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/freesecondhandbooks.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/freesecondhandbooks.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/product"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/freesecondhandbooks.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=149317"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/freesecondhandbooks.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/149318"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/freesecondhandbooks.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=149317"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"product_cat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/freesecondhandbooks.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product_cat?post=149317"},{"taxonomy":"product_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/freesecondhandbooks.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product_tag?post=149317"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}