... penetrating ... these piercing essays present a refreshing and nuanced view of the South by never engaging in flat Southern stereotypes or assuming a veneer of homogeneity. Instead the collection subverts the cultural dominance of whiteness by engaging with topics as varied as Black college majorettes, the DMV and apartment hunting ... Not all of the writers are originally from the South, but they all contribute to a well-rounded view of the Southern United States as a place that isn’t a monolith. Sharp and witty, this collection shows that there are many different ways to live, breathe, thrive and be a person who belongs in the South.
These essays, all well-written, take a great variety of tones and approaches ... From the entire collection, we experience the South not as mere backdrop but as a determinate character, although it sometimes shifts in appearance ... A Measure of Belonging is a critical work, particularly during our country’s current great migration southward ... This book, with its roster of brilliant writers, explores the multifaceted and often porous Southern identity in contemporary times. For many people of color, the South is home, happiness and hurt.
... captivating storytelling ... The collective is an imaginative, colorful collage of narrative that paints a clear and nuanced picture of the contemporary south, delivered with humor, sass, and pride. Readers will walk away with a portrait of modern southern ideologies and the hope for a new approach to old constructs.
Fortunately, the roads taken by these authors are anything but rehearsed ... Across the collection, the writers push against the limits of what we think we know about the South ... A sweet Southern sampling of a new generation of talented writers.
... [a] splendid assembly ... Life in America for writers of color is not confined to race and ethnicity, the essays remind the reader ... Totally engaging, this informing, thought-provoking collection is valuable for its vision of a South that is not monolithic.
