We Love You Charlie Freeman

Kaitlyn Greenidge

Hardcover, Large Print

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Critic Reviews

Great

Based on 9 reviews on

This shattering novel is filled with storytelling sleight of hand. What appears to be a story of mothers and daughters, of sisterhood put to the test, of adolescent love and grown-up misconduct, and of history s long reach, becomes a provocative and compelling exploration of America s failure to find a language to talk about race."

Book Details

Publisher: Thorndike Press
Publish Date: Sep 21st, 2016
Pages: 450
Language: English
Edition: undefined - undefined
Dimensions: 8.60in - 5.60in - 1.00in - 1.10lb
EAN: 9781410492081
Categories: • Psychological• Family Life - General• African American & Black - General

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Critics’ reviews

Praise for this book

Kaitlyn Greenidge is surgically brilliant when it comes to the issue of race: she pushes the story into brand new territory. The novel does what all good art should do--it creates an appearance of ease, but then it returns to haunt and question us. This is an allegory that pays tribute to Ellison, to Morrison, to Wideman and Doctorow, and it is every bit as necessary and provocative as Colson Whitehead s "The Intuitionist." Colum McCann Kaitlyn Greenidge s debut novel reminds us that it is an exciting time to be reading fiction. "We Love You, Charlie Freeman" is a masterful meditation on race, anthropology, history, and the hurly-burly complications of family. Greenidge s prose is incisive, clever, resounding with a deep intelligence . . . "We Love You, Charlie Freeman" stands to be an important debut from an important writer. Bill Cheng, author of "Southern Cross the Dog" "We Love You, Charlie Freeman" is a disturbing and deeply thoughtful novel. Kaitlyn Greenidge s debut shows off her skill with narrative structure. This novel is complex in form and idea. We are skillfully taken through various modes of cultural transaction: sign language and drawing, religion and science. Through various points of view and perspectives we move through a telling of how we come to understand or misunderstand our most intimate human elements within the racialized and gendered culture we live in. Tiphanie Yanique, author of "Land of Love and Drowning" People are always pronouncing that books have heart but the difference between the ordinary kind of heart we mean when we say this and the heart that fuels"We Love You, Charlie Freeman"is like the difference between Valentine caricatures and the real, beating thing. This is a magnificently textured, vital, visceral feat of storytelling that heralds Kaitlyn Greenridge as a sharp, poignant, extraordinary new voice of American literature. Tea Obreht, author of "The Tiger's Wife" "You didn't know you were craving a novel about a black family raising a chimpanzee at a research institute in New England, but you were. Luckily, it's exists! Even better, it's brilliant."We Love you, Charlie Freeman"is a coming-of-age novel, a romance, and even a historical drama; it's politically astute and relentlessly humane. This book is remarkable and its author, Kaitlyn Greenidge, is a star." Victor LaValle, author of"The Devil in Silver" "

Greenidge proves herself a master of dialogue, which helps her craft engaging, well-drawn characters. with humor, irony, and wit, Greenidge tackles this sensitive subject and crafts a light but deeply respectful take on this heavy aspect of America's treatment of black people. This is a timely work, full of disturbing but necessary observations. A vivid and poignant coming-of-age story that is also an important exploration of family, race, and history. "Kirkus Reviews" Kaitlyn Greenidge is surgically brilliant when it comes to the issue of race: she pushes the story into brand new territory. The novel does what all good art should do--it creates an appearance of ease, but then it returns to haunt and question us. This is an allegory that pays tribute to Ellison, to Morrison, to Wideman and Doctorow, and it is every bit as necessary and provocative as Colson Whitehead s "The Intuitionist." Colum McCann Kaitlyn Greenidge s debut novel reminds us that it is an exciting time to be reading fiction. "We Love You, Charlie Freeman" is a masterful meditation on race, anthropology, history, and the hurly-burly complications of family. Greenidge s prose is incisive, clever, resounding with a deep intelligence . . . "We Love You, Charlie Freeman" stands to be an important debut from an important writer. Bill Cheng, author of "Southern Cross the Dog" "We Love You, Charlie Freeman" is a disturbing and deeply thoughtful novel. Kaitlyn Greenidge s debut shows off her skill with narrative structure. This novel is complex in form and idea. We are skillfully taken through various modes of cultural transaction: sign language and drawing, religion and science. Through various points of view and perspectives we move through a telling of how we come to understand or misunderstand our most intimate human elements within the racialized and gendered culture we live in. Tiphanie Yanique, author of "Land of Love and Drowning" People are always pronouncing that books have heart but the difference between the ordinary kind of heart we mean when we say this and the heart that fuels"We Love You, Charlie Freeman"is like the difference between Valentine caricatures and the real, beating thing. This is a magnificently textured, vital, visceral feat of storytelling that heralds Kaitlyn Greenridge as a sharp, poignant, extraordinary new voice of American literature. Tea Obreht, author of "The Tiger's Wife" "You didn't know you were craving a novel about a black family raising a chimpanzee at a research institute in New England, but you were. Luckily, it's exists! Even better, it's brilliant."We Love you, Charlie Freeman"is a coming-of-age novel, a romance, and even a historical drama; it's politically astute and relentlessly humane. This book is remarkable and its author, Kaitlyn Greenidge, is a star." Victor LaValle, author of"The Devil in Silver""

Kaitlyn Greenidge s masterful debut novel "We Love You, Charlie Freeman" is at heart an examination of race and language an African-American family is hired by a New England research institute to raise and teach sign language to a chimpanzee, but the institute has a shockingly dark past. "We Love You, Charlie Freeman" skillfully tackles history and heavy subjects with both humor and thoughtfulness; this book proves Greenidge will be a literary force to be reckoned with. "Buzzfeed.com" When you first step into the pages of Kaitlyn Greenidge s wonderfully audacious debut novel, "We Love You, Charlie Freeman," you re not quite sure where she s going. Well, buckle up for an unforgettable journey. "Essence" This fantasticdebut novel tackles important subjects race and culture, language and communication frankly and with grace. Kaitlyn Greenidge's story follows an African-American family hired to teach sign language to a chimp, but a dark history follows the institute behind the experiment."Charlie Freeman"has so many elements of a great read: thoughtful construction, precise prose, and a beating heart. "Elle.com" Greenridge s wondrous first novel pits the sins of the past against the desire for the future in a multifaceted narrative that challenges concepts of culture and communication. "Booklist" (starred) "We Love You, Charlie Freeman" is a gripping and gratifying read. Greenidge tackles the risky terrain of ethnicity and race relations with confidence and grace, and has proven herself a writer to watch. "Washington Independent Review of Books" Greenidge proves herself a master of dialogue, which helps her craft engaging, well-drawn characters. with humor, irony, and wit, Greenidge tackles this sensitive subject and crafts a light but deeply respectful take on this heavy aspect of America's treatment of black people. This is a timely work, full of disturbing but necessary observations. A vivid and poignant coming-of-age story that is also an important exploration of family, race, and history. "Kirkus Reviews" ambitious deftly constructed, encompassing weighty issues such as race, language, sexuality, and the intersections of religion and science, arriving finally at a heartbreaking confrontation. The end result is a sobering look at how we communicate with one another and what inevitably gets lost in translation. "Publishers Weekly" In her intense and original debut, Kaitlyn Greenidge centers on the Freemans, an African-American family putting to use sign-language skills in an unconventional way they live with a chimpanzee and teach it ASL. From there, the story unspools, through different points of view that ll leave you, well, speechless. "Marie Claire" Kaitlyn Greenidge addresses race with a knowing, deft hand. And there s far more at work here, as Charlotte and Callie face their teenage years and wrestle with the line between what their parents want and what they desire for themselves. The result is a story about identity, both self-determined and dictated by outside sources, and a family s aim to settle into who they are. "BookPage" a significant and timely work . A smart mesmerizing tale with finely crafted dialogue and landscape, "We Love You, Charlie Freeman" is easy to fall in love with. "NY Journal of Books" Kaitlyn Greenidge is surgically brilliant when it comes to the issue of race: she pushes the story into brand new territory. The novel does what all good art should do--it creates an appearance of ease, but then it returns to haunt and question us. This is an allegory that pays tribute to Ellison, to Morrison, to Wideman and Doctorow, and it is every bit as necessary and provocative as Colson Whitehead s "The Intuitionist." Colum McCann"

witty and provocative Greenidge deftly handles a host of complex themes and characters, exploring not just how (literally) institutionalized racism is, but the difficulty of an effective response to it. Greenidge doesn t march to a pat answer; the power of the book is in her understanding of how clarity wriggles out of reach. For all the seriousness of its themes, though, "Charlie Freeman" is also caustically funny. "USA Today" Kaitlyn Greenidge s masterful debut novel "We Love You, Charlie Freeman" is at heart an examination of race and language an African-American family is hired by a New England research institute to raise and teach sign language to a chimpanzee, but the institute has a shockingly dark past. "We Love You, Charlie Freeman" skillfully tackles history and heavy subjects with both humor and thoughtfulness; this book proves Greenidge will be a literary force to be reckoned with. "Buzzfeed.com" When you first step into the pages of Kaitlyn Greenidge s wonderfully audacious debut novel, "We Love You, Charlie Freeman," you re not quite sure where she s going. Well, buckle up for an unforgettable journey. "Essence" This fantasticdebut novel tackles important subjects race and culture, language and communication frankly and with grace. Kaitlyn Greenidge's story follows an African-American family hired to teach sign language to a chimp, but a dark history follows the institute behind the experiment."Charlie Freeman"has so many elements of a great read: thoughtful construction, precise prose, and a beating heart. "Elle.com" "[Greenidge] succeeds in large part because her voices are so dead-on. Whether it is Charlotte, swooning and conflicted over Adria or her sister, or Nymphadora trying to be clear-eyed about Gardner, these narratives are convincing and utterly engaging. "Boston Globe" Greenidge pulls together the multiple story lines and strong perspectives of Charlotte and Nymphadora with her descriptive powers, lively dialogue and a fluid, engaging style. With this ambitious, compelling novel, she brings an original and thoughtful voice to the exploration of the complexities and ambiguities of race and gender, what it means to be a family, the relationship between humans and wild animals in domestic settings and the failures of communication across cultures and species. "Minneapolis Star Tribune" "We Love You, Charlie Freeman" is a gripping and gratifying read. Greenidge tackles the risky terrain of ethnicity and race relations with confidence and grace, and has proven herself a writer to watch. "Washington Independent Review of Books" Greenridge s wondrous first novel pits the sins of the past against the desire for the future in a multifaceted narrative that challenges concepts of culture and communication. "Booklist" (starred) Greenidge proves herself a master of dialogue, which helps her craft engaging, well-drawn characters. with humor, irony, and wit, Greenidge tackles this sensitive subject and crafts a light but deeply respectful take on this heavy aspect of America's treatment of black people. This is a timely work, full of disturbing but necessary observations. A vivid and poignant coming-of-age story that is also an important exploration of family, race, and history. "Kirkus Reviews" This sharp and powerful debut novel will floor you. The Freeman family moves to rural Massachusetts to participate in a research study in which they live with and teach sign-language to a chimpanzee. But in their new home, they find themselves isolated in a community of white people, both by their race and their experiment. As they struggle not to come undone, the pressure mounts as one family member begins to uncover the dark secrets of the Institute's past. "Bustle.com""

Terrifically auspicious . . . Ms. Greenidge has charted an ambitious course for a book that begins so mock-innocently. And she lets the suspicion and outrage mount as the Freemans true situation unfolds. This author is also a historian, and she makes the '1929'on Toneybee plaque tell another, equally gripping story that strongly parallels the Freemans 1990 experience. Janet Maslin, "The New York Times" witty and provocative Greenidge deftly handles a host of complex themes and characters, exploring not just how (literally) institutionalized racism is, but the difficulty of an effective response to it. Greenidge doesn t march to a pat answer; the power of the book is in her understanding of how clarity wriggles out of reach. For all the seriousness of its themes, though, "Charlie Freeman" is also caustically funny. "USA Today" Kaitlyn Greenidge s masterful debut novel "We Love You, Charlie Freeman" is at heart an examination of race and language an African-American family is hired by a New England research institute to raise and teach sign language to a chimpanzee, but the institute has a shockingly dark past. "We Love You, Charlie Freeman" skillfully tackles history and heavy subjects with both humor and thoughtfulness; this book proves Greenidge will be a literary force to be reckoned with. "Buzzfeed.com" When you first step into the pages of Kaitlyn Greenidge s wonderfully audacious debut novel, "We Love You, Charlie Freeman," you re not quite sure where she s going. Well, buckle up for an unforgettable journey. "Essence" This fantasticdebut novel tackles important subjects race and culture, language and communication frankly and with grace. Kaitlyn Greenidge's story follows an African-American family hired to teach sign language to a chimp, but a dark history follows the institute behind the experiment."Charlie Freeman"has so many elements of a great read: thoughtful construction, precise prose, and a beating heart. "Elle.com" "[Greenidge] succeeds in large part because her voices are so dead-on. Whether it is Charlotte, swooning and conflicted over Adria or her sister, or Nymphadora trying to be clear-eyed about Gardner, these narratives are convincing and utterly engaging. "Boston Globe" Greenidge pulls together the multiple story lines and strong perspectives of Charlotte and Nymphadora with her descriptive powers, lively dialogue and a fluid, engaging style. With this ambitious, compelling novel, she brings an original and thoughtful voice to the exploration of the complexities and ambiguities of race and gender, what it means to be a family, the relationship between humans and wild animals in domestic settings and the failures of communication across cultures and species. "Minneapolis Star Tribune" "We Love You, Charlie Freeman" is a gripping and gratifying read. Greenidge tackles the risky terrain of ethnicity and race relations with confidence and grace, and has proven herself a writer to watch. "Washington Independent Review of Books" Greenridge s wondrous first novel pits the sins of the past against the desire for the future in a multifaceted narrative that challenges concepts of culture and communication. "Booklist," starred review Greenidge proves herself a master of dialogue, which helps her craft engaging, well-drawn characters. with humor, irony, and wit, Greenidge tackles this sensitive subject and crafts a light but deeply respectful take on this heavy aspect of America's treatment of black people. This is a timely work, full of disturbing but necessary observations. A vivid and poignant coming-of-age story that is also an important exploration of family, race, and history. "Kirkus Reviews" This sharp and powerful debut novel will floor you. The Freeman family moves to rural Massachusetts to participate in a research study in which they live with and teach sign-language to a chimpanzee. But in their new home, they find themselves isolated in a community of white people, both by their race and their experiment. As they struggle not to come undone, the pressure mounts as one family member begins to uncover the dark secrets of the Institute's past. "Bustle.com""