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Book Review of Kinfolk

Kinfolk
VolunteerVal avatar reviewed on + 610 more book reviews


Sean Dietrich, better known as Sean of the South, is a man of many talents: novelist, columnist, podcaster, musician, storyteller. In all of these ways, he shares commentary on life in the American South. I'm an aspirational reader of his books - I have copies of several on my TBR shelves but I hadn't read one before listening to Kinfolk.

Nub Taylor has made a mess of his life. A lifelong alcoholic, he's ruined his marriage, his relationship with daughter Emily, and his reputation as a law-abiding citizen of his small Southern Alabama town. He's as surprised as anyone when he begins to extend small acts of kindness toward Minnie Bass, a 15-year-old waitress at Waffle House. As their friendship develops, they bond through shared experiences and life's hardships, and ultimately both achieve the most unlikely outcomes.

This novel is deeply personal and autobiographical for the author and includes tough topics such as aggressive breast cancer and parental suicide. Sean skillfully narrates the audiobook, and this highlights his distinctive writing style, 'folksy' sense of humor, and earnest singing voice. Themes include found family, fatherhood, redemption, and second chances within a framework of 1970s southern culture. Nub and Minnie are bigger-than-life characters, and I was cheering for them from the first chapter to the last.

Thank you to Harper Muse and NetGalley for access to the digital audiobook. I'll definitely pick up another of the author's books from my shelf ASAP.