Jackie Kay's compassionate, life-affirming and extraordinarily moving memoir
Red Dust Road
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Review
'From its hilarious opening, it is apparent that [Kay's] memoir is a clear-eyed account of the push and pull between nature and nurture... the strength, humour and charm at the heart of this memoir are a tribute to the couple who made Kay never question her right to be happy' --Sunday Times
'Honest, human and sad... As much as it is a love letter to Africa, this memoir is also a love letter to [Jackie's adoptive parents], whose care and commitment made Kay who she is today. It is touching, full of strength and truth' --Independent on Sunday
'Once stood near Jackie Kay on a station platform and I chickened out of fanboying and telling her how awesome I thought she was and her book was, so this would be an opportunity to redress that Epic Fail. It's above all for her novel Trumpet that I want to offer fealty. I found it so intensely moving - I felt as if I was reading with something sitting on my chest. And there on page 186 is the description of an angry, confused man, relenting enough to nod and wink at the little boy watching him, fascinated, on the tube. He is rewarded with "a smile to die for". "Doesn't cost much, Colman thinks. Doesn't cost much to nod at a little geezer and make his fucking day." In an era when slanders about the supposed odiousness of human nature are routine, the kindness and love in that observation don't just make it beautiful; they make it important' --Guardian
`Red Dust Road is a terrific read worthy of all the bouquets bestowed on it. A special treat was her own inimitable interpretation on Radio 4' --Herald
'Honest, human and sad... As much as it is a love letter to Africa, this memoir is also a love letter to [Jackie's adoptive parents], whose care and commitment made Kay who she is today. It is touching, full of strength and truth' --Independent on Sunday
'Once stood near Jackie Kay on a station platform and I chickened out of fanboying and telling her how awesome I thought she was and her book was, so this would be an opportunity to redress that Epic Fail. It's above all for her novel Trumpet that I want to offer fealty. I found it so intensely moving - I felt as if I was reading with something sitting on my chest. And there on page 186 is the description of an angry, confused man, relenting enough to nod and wink at the little boy watching him, fascinated, on the tube. He is rewarded with "a smile to die for". "Doesn't cost much, Colman thinks. Doesn't cost much to nod at a little geezer and make his fucking day." In an era when slanders about the supposed odiousness of human nature are routine, the kindness and love in that observation don't just make it beautiful; they make it important' --Guardian
`Red Dust Road is a terrific read worthy of all the bouquets bestowed on it. A special treat was her own inimitable interpretation on Radio 4' --Herald
Product Description
'Kay excels at any literary genre she turns her hand to - poetry, fiction, drama and now memoir. Yet, like the best memoirs, this one is written with novelist and poetic flair. Characters come alive with pitch-perfect speech, language is lyrically and imaginatively rendered, there is page-turning suspense. Even the structure defies expectation... Red Dust Road is a fantastic, probing and heart-warming read'
Independent
'A clear-eyed, witty and unsentimental account of the push and pull between nature and nurture... Happiness, which shines through the book, makes it the polar opposite of a misery memoir... Red Dust Road is an acknowledgment of the "windy place", as Kay describes it, at the heart of the adopted child, but its strength, humour and charm are a tribute to parents who made this "bundle of child wrapped up in the ghostly shawl of adoption" never question her right to be happy'
Sunday Times
'A remarkable, soul-searching journey... It is Kay's abundant wit that makes Red Dust Road such a moving, spirited work. Written with the colloquial, swift-moving verve of a born communicator, this is a terrifically easy, evocative, and often amusing read... Kay creates a story that combines the artistic skill of fiction with the emotional power of truth' Sunday Herald 'Wonderful, humane... This is a book with resolution, determination and honesty: we should be glad to have Jackie Kay as a pioneer of the new Scotland' Scotland on Sunday 'Warm, intelligent and full of humour. Red Dust Road is also beautifully written... the prose is simple yet poetic... The most honest, moving book I have read in years'
Pink Paper
'Those familiar with Jackie Kay's poetry and fiction will know it exudes a uniquely uplifting and rib-tickling form of optimism, and that general ambience pervades this wonderfully engaging memoir... Kay's perceptive eye and keen humane spirit imbue it all with wide-eyed wonder for the human condition... Red Dust Road is a very funny and occasionally profound look at what goes into making us who we are; an exploration of the joys and foibles of family life from a truly warm-hearted and loveable writer'
The List
‘Told with a wit and poignancy typically associated with Kay’s award-winning poetry, short stories and her first novel Trumpet, this startling family portrait which takes you from Glasgow to Lagos will have you gripped from the first page… A warm and generous book full of humour and insight. Read and cherish for a very long time’
Stylist
‘Book of the Week’ ‘The most moving book I’ve read all year’
David Robinson, Scotsman
‘If you had been a child in 1960s Glasgow, would you rather have been black, gay or adopted? Kay was all three, and although her race and sexuality brought jaw-dropping abuse, it was ignorance of her birth parents that hurt the most, leaving a “windy place” in her heart. This account of her pilgrimage into her “pea-souper” past is hilarious, tender and shocking. It leads her to a mother crippled with guilt and dementia; a crazy, born-again-Christian, quack-doctor father; and the healing discovery that “you cannot find yourself in two strangers who share your genes”.’
Intelligent Life, ‘Books of the Season’ feature
‘[Kay’s] warmth and generosity of spirit shine through Red Dust Road… Never less than interesting and beguiling’
The Times
‘Moving… A deftly told anti-misery memoir full of optimism’
Metro (4-star review)
‘The book sings with life… it is as warm and spirited, as funny and full of life, as her adoptive parents’
Literary Review --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Independent
'A clear-eyed, witty and unsentimental account of the push and pull between nature and nurture... Happiness, which shines through the book, makes it the polar opposite of a misery memoir... Red Dust Road is an acknowledgment of the "windy place", as Kay describes it, at the heart of the adopted child, but its strength, humour and charm are a tribute to parents who made this "bundle of child wrapped up in the ghostly shawl of adoption" never question her right to be happy'
Sunday Times
'A remarkable, soul-searching journey... It is Kay's abundant wit that makes Red Dust Road such a moving, spirited work. Written with the colloquial, swift-moving verve of a born communicator, this is a terrifically easy, evocative, and often amusing read... Kay creates a story that combines the artistic skill of fiction with the emotional power of truth' Sunday Herald 'Wonderful, humane... This is a book with resolution, determination and honesty: we should be glad to have Jackie Kay as a pioneer of the new Scotland' Scotland on Sunday 'Warm, intelligent and full of humour. Red Dust Road is also beautifully written... the prose is simple yet poetic... The most honest, moving book I have read in years'
Pink Paper
'Those familiar with Jackie Kay's poetry and fiction will know it exudes a uniquely uplifting and rib-tickling form of optimism, and that general ambience pervades this wonderfully engaging memoir... Kay's perceptive eye and keen humane spirit imbue it all with wide-eyed wonder for the human condition... Red Dust Road is a very funny and occasionally profound look at what goes into making us who we are; an exploration of the joys and foibles of family life from a truly warm-hearted and loveable writer'
The List
‘Told with a wit and poignancy typically associated with Kay’s award-winning poetry, short stories and her first novel Trumpet, this startling family portrait which takes you from Glasgow to Lagos will have you gripped from the first page… A warm and generous book full of humour and insight. Read and cherish for a very long time’
Stylist
‘Book of the Week’ ‘The most moving book I’ve read all year’
David Robinson, Scotsman
‘If you had been a child in 1960s Glasgow, would you rather have been black, gay or adopted? Kay was all three, and although her race and sexuality brought jaw-dropping abuse, it was ignorance of her birth parents that hurt the most, leaving a “windy place” in her heart. This account of her pilgrimage into her “pea-souper” past is hilarious, tender and shocking. It leads her to a mother crippled with guilt and dementia; a crazy, born-again-Christian, quack-doctor father; and the healing discovery that “you cannot find yourself in two strangers who share your genes”.’
Intelligent Life, ‘Books of the Season’ feature
‘[Kay’s] warmth and generosity of spirit shine through Red Dust Road… Never less than interesting and beguiling’
The Times
‘Moving… A deftly told anti-misery memoir full of optimism’
Metro (4-star review)
‘The book sings with life… it is as warm and spirited, as funny and full of life, as her adoptive parents’
Literary Review --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
23 of 23 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Like a supercharged episode of the BBC series 'Who do you think you are'...
16 July 2010
By G. E. Harrison
TOP 500 REVIEWER
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
I'd never heard of Jackie Kay before and didn't know anything about this book apart from the little that is said on the book jacket. I thought that the book starting with the meeting with her birth father was a bit clunky and I would have preferred that the book had started with the account of her childhood with her (wonderful) adoptive parents and brother but I guess that this way quickly established the deep wound at the centre of her life. With the account of her childhood I quickly got into the book and I began to cry and I didn't really stop throughout the whole book! I found it all very, very emotional - like a supercharged episode of the BBC series "Who do you think you are" - although I have never personally experienced anything like this myself. However, I did empathise with the accounts of Jackie's meetings with her birth mother who, like my own mother, was developing dementia (more crying).
I thought the book was beautifully written, I enjoyed the jumps in time and space - from Glasgow to Nigeria, from Aberdeen to Milton Keynes - which seemed to flow naturally and replicate the haphazard nature of memory. And I got a real sense of all these places, particularly Nigeria (the red dust road of the title). I thought that this was an amazingly powerful book, full of warmth and very funny but I'm really glad to have finished it so I can finally stop bloody crying!
I thought the book was beautifully written, I enjoyed the jumps in time and space - from Glasgow to Nigeria, from Aberdeen to Milton Keynes - which seemed to flow naturally and replicate the haphazard nature of memory. And I got a real sense of all these places, particularly Nigeria (the red dust road of the title). I thought that this was an amazingly powerful book, full of warmth and very funny but I'm really glad to have finished it so I can finally stop bloody crying!
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
RED DUST ROAD, both laugh-out-loud and deeply moving, is a delight - I read it in one sitting. The opening pages are brilliant. It is a book that reminds you that family is always made, not merely manufactured biologically, and - very rarely - a work of literature about adoption that is never bleak, but instead uplifting, wonderfully nuanced, and deeply rewarding to read. I loved it.
31 of 33 people found the following review helpful
By Gabrielle O
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
I just don't understand how anyone could give this book fewer than the full five stars! For me, this was one of the best books I've ever read - thought-provoking, hilarious, sad and beautiful in turn. I have already lent it to my best friend, bought a copy for my husband, and recommended it to other friends.
It's an engaging and deeply moving read - and it starts brilliantly by describing Jackie's first meeting with her biological father, a born-again Christian and preacher in Nigeria. At various points while reading this I laughed out loud (including while on the underground with people looking at me and thinking I must be mad - but it really was side-splittingly funny) and was also moved to tears.
This is non-fiction at its rawest - Jackie Kay's autobiographical writing is both unflinchingly genuine and beautifully written. She is a very appealing, likeable narrator, which makes it even harder to read of her experiences of rejection and prejudice - although these experiences aren't recounted with self-pity at all. Kay's memories are woven together thematically, so the book does jump around a bit chronologically, but it's very compelling in terms of how it builds up these themes in rich layers waiting to be dug into when Kay meets her birth parents.
This is not just a book about adoption (though obviously that forms its starting point) but about the whole experience of growing up, and about the nuances of growing up as a girl, as a lesbian and as somebody of mixed race. So I know it is not just about one thing, and that may make it less appealing to some readers. But personally I felt this really worked for me. Because how can you understand adoption, and think about what makes real family, without thinking about the whole experience of growing up and discovering yourself and understanding what family means? It did not matter to me that I had not been adopted, am not lesbian and am not mixed race - that is not the point and that is not why you should pick up this book. Red Dust Road is not a book that shuts out readers. Rather, it is a book that welcomes them in, with great generosity of spirit, inviting them to listen to the story and think and empathise and understand. And throughout the whole book, Jackie Kay's extraordinarily genuine and appealing voice shines through.
A stunning book.
It's an engaging and deeply moving read - and it starts brilliantly by describing Jackie's first meeting with her biological father, a born-again Christian and preacher in Nigeria. At various points while reading this I laughed out loud (including while on the underground with people looking at me and thinking I must be mad - but it really was side-splittingly funny) and was also moved to tears.
This is non-fiction at its rawest - Jackie Kay's autobiographical writing is both unflinchingly genuine and beautifully written. She is a very appealing, likeable narrator, which makes it even harder to read of her experiences of rejection and prejudice - although these experiences aren't recounted with self-pity at all. Kay's memories are woven together thematically, so the book does jump around a bit chronologically, but it's very compelling in terms of how it builds up these themes in rich layers waiting to be dug into when Kay meets her birth parents.
This is not just a book about adoption (though obviously that forms its starting point) but about the whole experience of growing up, and about the nuances of growing up as a girl, as a lesbian and as somebody of mixed race. So I know it is not just about one thing, and that may make it less appealing to some readers. But personally I felt this really worked for me. Because how can you understand adoption, and think about what makes real family, without thinking about the whole experience of growing up and discovering yourself and understanding what family means? It did not matter to me that I had not been adopted, am not lesbian and am not mixed race - that is not the point and that is not why you should pick up this book. Red Dust Road is not a book that shuts out readers. Rather, it is a book that welcomes them in, with great generosity of spirit, inviting them to listen to the story and think and empathise and understand. And throughout the whole book, Jackie Kay's extraordinarily genuine and appealing voice shines through.
A stunning book.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
World Book Night
I received this book through World Book Night, I am an avid reader and love to pass on my experiences of books to others, this being said I'm not one to normally write reviews but... Read more
Published 2 days ago by Claire 22
4.0 out of 5 stars
Red Dust Road
I liked this book...it was a book group choice and most people enjoyed the autobiography by Jackie Kay. Some of us felt that it flitted about a bit which is why I gave it 4 stars. Read more
Published 6 days ago by Ms. C. A. Hickey
5.0 out of 5 stars
Red Dust Road by Jackie Kay
I bought this book as I wanted to to read it before World Book Night, 2013, as I'd chosen this book to give out to others on World Book Night. Read more
Published 15 days ago by E. Mcdonald
5.0 out of 5 stars
Red Dust Road
This is such a poignant story, Jackie Kay's memoir about her adoption and her search for real parents is told honestly but also with some humour. I really liked this book.
Published 29 days ago by tobykin
3.0 out of 5 stars
Dusty dry road
While the subject was interesting and the novel moving at times, I found the repetition of several key incidents from the before/during/after perspective, and jumping around in... Read more
Published 1 month ago by K. J. Noyes
1.0 out of 5 stars
Red Dust Road
Local Book Club choice. Opinions very divided. More did not like it than liked it. Did not think the writing was very good.
Published 4 months ago by Terry Penn
4.0 out of 5 stars
Red Dust Road
Very honest and heartwarming story of comlex emotions. Although dealing with adoption, racisim and Gay sexuality it is made simple to read and follow the journey of the character... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Pamela Brown
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great biography of a good writer and warm person
This was a lovely read. We read it in my book group and 9 of the ten of us was captured by the story and engaged by the writing. Read more
Published 6 months ago by G. E. Kirkup
4.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting perspective on adoption
As an asptive parent I was particularly interested in this book but also it was a well written story (not surprisingly) which I think anyone who is interested in people will enjoy.
Published 7 months ago by J. Kilpin
5.0 out of 5 stars
insightful
A funny, moving, interesting autobiographical book. Jackie Kay explains the feelings of being adopted, coming from incredibly different backgrounds and trying to fit in with all of... Read more
Published 10 months ago by daphne
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