There’s an art to capturing a specific time and place within the pages of a novel, something that author Audrey Taylor Gonzalez has clearly mastered. Her latest release, BONES, is a stunning display of storytelling. Set in the south during the fifties, the story opens on a farm just outside of Memphis. Banned from driving, seventeen-year-old Missy decides to take a horse ride when she is assaulted by a trio of “dirty white men who needed shaves and had awful tattoos all over their fat arms.” In her darkest moment, it’s the family horsebreaker (Mr. Washington) who comes to her rescue. Unfortunately, the horrific act of violence is just the first of many injustices to follow. Missy is soon sent away to boarding school, and for his trouble, Mr. Washington takes the blame and winds up in jail. While Washington is hardly the first black man to be falsely accused and wrongfully convicted, the whole ordeal is an eye-opening event for the relatively sheltered Missy. From there, Missy embarks on a long and winding quest to return the remains of another beloved family staff member (Old Thomas) to his ancestral home in Africa. Along the way, Missy grows in ways she never could’ve imagined, all the while working her way back to her beloved Mr. Washington.
By any measure, Gonzalez has lived quite a life. Her biography reveals a rich and diverse writing career complete with a two-decade ‘South-American adventure’ and years of purpose-driven work with prisoners. Despite her privileged upbringing, Gonzalez has devoted the majority of her life to working with those less fortunate, a fact that shines through in her writing. From the vivid scene setting to the stunning character depictions, there’s an undeniable tinge of authenticity on every page. Obviously, a story set in the south at the dawn of the Civil Rights movement often carries the weight of many uncomfortable truths. In that respect, Gonzalez offers a thought-provoking and nuanced examination of race and gender amid a chaotic backdrop. Still, the most fascinating part of BONES might be the hint of magical realism Gonzalez manages to weave into the story. The effect is subtle, but it adds a tangible air of mystery to what is an otherwise textbook example of historical fiction.
Above all else, BONES is beautifully written. In the tradition of yesteryear’s great Southern Gothic writers, Gonzalez explores the complicated dichotomy permeating the Deep South. Utilizing a first-person POV, Missy’s narrative tone subtly shifts from a wide-eyed teen to a self-assured and driven citizen of the world. And regardless of the section, be it the visceral violence during the opening pages or the evocative spiritual passages during the final act, every scene is rendered with a delicate touch—the mark of a seasoned writer. While technically a standalone novel, readers will be delighted to learn that a prequel to BONES exists in Gonzalez’s 2015 novel, South of Everything.
With BONES, Audrey Taylor Gonzalez delivers a rich and poignant Southern narrative in a perfectly-paced, page-turner package—simply superb writing.
~James Weiskittel for IndieReader