Both the horror of the illegal dog fighting and the reality of the children’s situation provide piercing evidence of the desperate situations that exist right here in the country. Esch’s brother, Skeetah, could be an excellent role model and provider, but he chooses to channel his energy into a prize-fighting pitbull while his two younger siblings struggle to put food on the table. However, the courage she gains throughout the novel shines through and makes her an incredibly dynamic and well-developed character. While she makes the rash decisions of a teenage girl, Ward uses her innocence as a representation for all of the children lost to tough home lives.

Esch herself resembles a lost but hopeful soul, desperately clinging to her favorite storybook characters and the promise of a better future someday. Ward’s story is an incredibly powerful character study, giving Esch and her family enough dimension that it feels as though they could walk right out of the page. The novel reveals Esch’s closest thoughts and deepest fears in the 12 days leading up to the disastrous Hurricane Katrina. To add to the situation, Esch is several months pregnant with a baby that she does not want and has no clue how to take care of-and she is terrified to let anyone else know. She regularly takes care of her younger brother Junior and has certain duties as the only woman in the house. Residing alone with her father and three brothers, 15-year old Esch is living with responsibility far beyond her years. Combining a hopeful teenage girl, a prize-winning pitbull, and the hurricane of a lifetime, Jesmyn Ward weaves an unforgettable tale in her heart-wrenching novel “Salvage the Bones.” The story of 15 year-old Esch’s journey to womanhood through the dirt and despair of her Louisiana home, this National Award Winning book will keep readers emotionally hooked from beginning to end.

Salvage the bones book review