The Color of My Words (NOVEL)

 

Title: The Color of My Words

Author: Lynn Joseph

Published By: Harper Collins Children's Books

The Color of my Words by Lynn Joseph is about a 12-year-old girl Ana Rosa Hernandez that loves to express her feeling on paper. Any paper she would see she would write on it like napkins and old paper bags. However, as I read I found out that in the Republica Dominicana, the only person that could write books was the President.  Ana Rosa wanted so much to be able to write books so Ana Rosa explained to her mother how she wanted to write poems and stories. “Ana Rosa,” there always has to be a first person to do something” ‘Mami said’. Her mother understood but she also knew that her words weren’t going to be heard. Unless she really put her heart into it. Ana Rosa’s beautiful poetry starts each chapter of this novel, as she dreams of becoming a writer in the Dominican Republic at the age of 12. Because only the president of the country writes, her dream is always challenged. She steals paper for her craft, recording everything she sees. This is a coming of age story as the heroine recounts events in her life, introducing her family, her close relationship with her older brother Guario, her first crush and the meringue filled days of her home.

The story helps us realize the power we hold behind our words. They are so strong; they have the ability to take a life. You also learn that our aspirations have a power all their own, if you allow them to be made known. The characters are real, each having a trait that reflects the real world (ex. a drunk and an adulteress.).

The details are spectacular and the descriptions fantastic. I feel as though I am there with the characters, which is no doubt, what the author wanted.Again, this book is beautifully written, as the reader you can see the setting and feel like you know the people. The rich character development was the best I have ever experienced in such a short novel. The author's ability to weave poetry into the narrative perfectly complemented the unfolding plot. Despite its length, the novel is packed with twists and turns to amuse any reader.