"You'll never know how much your father loves you. You're mine---blood of my blood, bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh." -Arthur Kinnan to daughter, Marjorie
This is the first book written by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, completed in 1928, refused for publication, undiscovered for decades and finally published in 2002, long after the author's death. It was originally submitted for a writing contest as a novel but it is VERY autobiographical. It begins with the story of Marjorie's grandparents and the upbringing of her own parents. Marjorie is born around page 50 and the last 2/3 of the story is hers, concentrating mostly on her conflicted relationship with her mother and the closeness of her and her father. I would describe her mother, Ida, as a tiger mom on steroids! She was very controlling, trying to relive her own life vicariously through Marjorie. Fortunately she did seem to mellow after Marjorie had flown from the nest.
Marjorie's last book was The Sojourner which, ironically, borrows from this first one. I have not read it yet but apparently the line "blood of my blood" shows up more than once and the main characters are based on Rawlings' maternal grandparents. Also, the setting is a northern farm.
Blood of My Blood was very helpful in enlightening me about Marjorie's family, childhood and youth in preparation for the class I am teaching this month at Rollins College, "The Life and Literary Works of Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings." For that reason I will rate it a 4. Fans of Rawlings will probably enjoy it but one could not call it a page-turner.
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