Reviews
"And now, with "Blood of my Blood," a rather depressing coming of age story, readers can look at the early Rawlings and marvel at how she overcame such anger and found her way to become a writer of such compelling storytelling power." - The State, Colombia, SC
--The State, Colombia, SC
"A bleak, defiant, bare - knuckles read. Provides enormously interesting insights into the author's work." - Kirkus Reviews
--Kirkus Reviews
"'Blood of my Blood' is the story of the eternal conflict between ambitious parent and unwilling child. Rawlings writes about this complex relationship with dispassionate clarity. It is a remarkable book." - Tampa Tribune & Times
--Tampa Tribune and Times
"The graceful final passages when Marjorie goes off to live her own life after marrying a man her mother hates, and must come to terms with Ida's growing loneliness. Given what Rawling's went on to achieve. This seminal work constitutes a useful document for those interested in delving further in her unusual life. A strong library selection and a likely university seller." Publisher's Weekly
--Publishers Weekly
"an unforgettable and impressive story, 'part autobiography, part family chronicle.'" - Bloomsbury Review
--Bloomsbury Review
"What a treasure- belated insight into the early works of such an esteemed author. Blood of my Blood is the story of the eternal conflict between ambitious parent and unwilling child, Rawlings writes about this complex relationship with dispassionate clarity. It is a remarkable book." - Tampa Tribune
--Tampa Tribune
"A fascinating glimpse at yet another writer's attempt to struggle with the knowledge that, alas, she didn't give birth to herself but rather had to put up with a mother who fell somewhere short of perfection." - Washington Post Book World
--Washington Post
"Blood of My Blood is an important first novel because it reveals Rawlings' early views of her family and her early development as an artist. The novel will be of interest to historians, literary critics, and readers who love her later novels." - H-Florida
--H-Florida
This work was written early in the first half of the 1900s, well before feminists and other women writers brought their personal stories to light for us. The loss and rediscovery of this manuscript whet this reader's curiosity as to why the author never published this early writing, and one might gasp at how very nearly it came to permanent loss.
--CALYX: Journal of Art and Literature by Women