Why read Skinfolk?

Book cover of Skinfolk: A Memoir

Book description

Could a picturesque white house with a picket fence save the world? What if it was filled with children drawn together from around the globe? And what if, within the yard, the lines of kin and skin, of family and race, were deliberately knotted and twisted? In 1970, a wild-eyed…

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Why read it?

1 author picked Skinfolk as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Nina Silber

Author

Lately, I’ve been reading books by historians who use their historian skills to tell stories about their own lives. I’m trying to do that myself about my own life.

So, I loved the way Guterl thought deeply about the family he grew up with in the 1970s and 80s and especially how his parents tried, with very mixed success, to create a family that brought together children of different racial backgrounds. With very sensitive portrayals of his parents and siblings, Guterl shows how this intentional upbringing could produce personal pains and pleasures.

From Nina's 3 favorite reads in 2023.