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A review by lectrixnoctis
Boy, Falling by Jenny Jaeckel
4.0
"Boy, Falling" is a delightful sequel to the book/family saga "House of Rougeaux" by award-winning author and illustrator Jenny Jaeckel. Unlikely the first book of this saga, this novel focuses on the children of Eleonora called Nora and their children.
This charming written historical novel begins in 1895 in Montreal, Canada. In the first part of the novel, you will pick up with young Gerard Rougeaux, who struggles with his self-identity and his place in the world. His family tree is quite complex as he learns about the mystery of his birth at the age of 18. You can see Gerard blossoming into a charming young adult as he moved to New York to continue his authentic passion for music. However, he is conflicted because of his attraction to the same gender and who he loves. The novel highlights how society deals with homosexuality in the early 20th century. He is forced to hide his true self until he fully excepts himself and moves to Paris.
In the second part of the book, we follow the story of Gerard's half-sister Jeanette who lives in New York. She is teaching children music and takes a lot of joy in her work. However, after the market crashes, she is let go and has to make difficult decisions. Should she marry a man she perhaps not loves to secure her life or not?
"Boy, Falling" is a beautiful continuation of the family saga of the Rougeaux with discussing various topics like love, suffering, grief and homosexuality, as well as racism. However, the true magic of this book has to be character and world-building. Jaeckel has a beautiful way to describe the scenery without making it dull. I fell in love with the various characters and felt deeply connected to them.
This book is a massive improvement to the first one, although it did enjoy "House of Rougeaux". I highly recommend This book to anyone who wants to read a family saga with challenging themes.
Thank you to Jenny Jaeckel for a review copy of this book in return for an honest review.
TW: Racism, Sex, (Internalised) Homophobia, Cheating, Heartbreak (Break-up), Nazis, Hospitalisation, Death, WWII, Grief, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Childbirth, Divorce
This charming written historical novel begins in 1895 in Montreal, Canada. In the first part of the novel, you will pick up with young Gerard Rougeaux, who struggles with his self-identity and his place in the world. His family tree is quite complex as he learns about the mystery of his birth at the age of 18. You can see Gerard blossoming into a charming young adult as he moved to New York to continue his authentic passion for music. However, he is conflicted because of his attraction to the same gender and who he loves. The novel highlights how society deals with homosexuality in the early 20th century. He is forced to hide his true self until he fully excepts himself and moves to Paris.
In the second part of the book, we follow the story of Gerard's half-sister Jeanette who lives in New York. She is teaching children music and takes a lot of joy in her work. However, after the market crashes, she is let go and has to make difficult decisions. Should she marry a man she perhaps not loves to secure her life or not?
"Boy, Falling" is a beautiful continuation of the family saga of the Rougeaux with discussing various topics like love, suffering, grief and homosexuality, as well as racism. However, the true magic of this book has to be character and world-building. Jaeckel has a beautiful way to describe the scenery without making it dull. I fell in love with the various characters and felt deeply connected to them.
This book is a massive improvement to the first one, although it did enjoy "House of Rougeaux". I highly recommend This book to anyone who wants to read a family saga with challenging themes.
Thank you to Jenny Jaeckel for a review copy of this book in return for an honest review.
TW: Racism, Sex, (Internalised) Homophobia, Cheating, Heartbreak (Break-up), Nazis, Hospitalisation, Death, WWII, Grief, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Childbirth, Divorce