SuitabookTime Pieces
Virginia Hamilton
- Reading
- Because the story shifts between times, pause when a new episode begins and notice whose experience or family story is being followed. Check in together if the treatment of racism raises questions.
- Themes
- Racism in daily life: Valena struggles with racism in her daily life. Racism is part of Valena’s circumstances, but its specific presentation and the story’s stance are unclear.
- Family history and memory: Valena listens to her mother’s accounts of family history, while episodes from different times contribute to the story. Family storytelling is central to the book’s structure, but the specific lessons or conclusions are not established.
- Worth knowing
- Racism in Valena’s daily life is a stated part of the story. A tornado is another event she survives; the intensity of either episode is not clear.