When life gives you lemons, turn them into art: Dorothy Allison's Bastard Out of Carolina

Bastard out of Carolina
Dorothy Allison

You might notice this post is labeled both "fiction" and "nonfiction." Bastard Out of Carolina is precisely that: an account of one's horrific childhood wearing a fictional dress. While reading the novel, I kept thinking I was reading a memoir, because it's true that Allison experienced much of what happens in Bastard.

What's more, it’s nice to read something that not only recounts a troubling period in one’s life but also stands as a truly great piece of literature. Bastard Out of Carolina is one of the few examples (in my admittedly limited experience, at least) of this achievement: Allison could have told a simple tale of horrifying abuse and shone as a survivor; thankfully, she has true talent and Bastard's greatness is due not to its shock value but rather the talented voice which inhabits it. Allison has transformed abuse into art.

Ruth Anne Boatwright, nicknamed “Bone,” grew up as the illegitimate daughter of a young mother living in the South. When her unwed mother (not surprisingly lonely, poor, and trying to make a good life for her daughters) marries “Daddy Glen,” Bone finds herself the object of his seething, irrational hatred. Why Daddy Glen hates her so is anybody’s guess, especially when her younger sister is treated just fine. But whatever the reason, Bone excites Daddy Glen’s rage to the point past which healing becomes impossible.

It goes without saying that Bastard Out of Carolina will anger its readers. How can her mother watch Bone receive beating after beating and not leave Glen, a man who is neither father nor even breadwinner? How does one choose loser spouse over innocent child? For all her talent, Allison doesn't have these answers, but she doesn't pretend to, either.

In a nutshell: More than just a tale of survival, Bastard Out of Carolina is disturbing but beautifully written.

Bibliolatry Scale: 5.5 out of 6 stars