Salvage The Bones by Jesmyn Ward

This novel is about a young family in America who are struggling to cope emotionally and financially with the death of their mother.  Set in the run up to hurricane Katrina the book highlights the extreme poverty of this Southern American community and their lack of resources to cope with natural disasters.  The characters in this book are immediate and realistic which makes it easy to engage with them and become truly engrossed in the story.  I very much enjoyed the style of writing which is simple but poignant with really believable dialogue.  The story is often sad but in a very touching way which stops this book being depressing. Definitely recommended for an unusual, powerful read.