Book Review: A Little Piece of Sky by Nicole Bailey-Williams

Title: A Little Piece of Sky

Author: Nicole Bailey-Williams

Genre: Literary Fiction

Number of Pages: 176

Rating: C-

Recommended?: No

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A Little Piece of Sky is a dark and depressing novel about a young African-American woman named Song Byrd (ugh.) When Song Byrd’s abusive mother gets shot, Song blames herself for her death and that guilt follows her into adulthood.

This novel is made up of short lyrical vignettes, which I initially liked. Song herself was never a particularly interesting character to me, but she seemed like she was written purely for readers to pity her lousy lot in life.

There were a lot of things in this book that really annoyed me, like how Song was told her mother loved her and locked her in the bathroom for hours on end with her best interest in mind. It seems like Song Byrd forgives everyone who’s ever wronged her in her life, except for the racist white guy who helps put her criminal brother in jail.

I understood Song hating this guy because of what a prejudiced asshole he is but we also have to hear about how disgusting it is that this guy has the nerve to ‘judge’ her brother, when Song admits her brother is GUILTY of RAPING AN OLD WOMAN. I’m sorry, since when a lawyer not allowed pass judgement upon a rapist?

Song’s brother is not a victim, but this novel wants you to feel sorry for a lot of the worst, most unredeeming characters in this book because they’re caught in a cycle. This book felt overdramatic and stereotypical, and it’s wishy-washy ‘God forgives all’ approach to the behaviors it portrays didn’t sit right with me.