Erudition - Author Jocelyn Crawley - Book Review

"Erudition," as we know, means learned, or tosentences setting the scene, a description of the
achieve profound scholarly knowledge. What isweather or season for example, then peel away
learned and by whom is the story of Grace, aright into the dueling minds and tempers of her
teenager maturing with her mind and hormonescharacter's relationship. In this regard the book
creating her coming of age like a nuclear reactormade me think of a prize fight, with each chapter
without containment rods. Her mother, Veronica,separation being the bell, a break, and once again
an English professor trying her best to raise herback into the center of the ring. An incredibly
daughter after the loss of her husband, has anintellectual bout of passion and persuasion
incredible task on her hands.progressing towards a profound erudition. Where
Jocelyn Crawley has a uniquely polished ability ofJocelyn Crawley draws her incredible sensitivity of
using distinctive and creative adjectives in hercharacter development is beyond imaginable, and
writing that took me back at times, making mecan only be by some creative genius of empathic
think just how powerful her words usedcognitive observation, or perhaps direct
represent her thoughts. As many authors mayexperience. One wonders.
"write down" to the common denominator of theThis is a thought provoking book which covers
anticipated audience, Jocelyn Crawley writes toissues of racism, sexism, sociocultural issues and
the best of her ability each sentence, allowing herhow this issues can affect people's lives. It took
readers to catch up if necessary to her train ofme awhile to figure out the symbolism of the
thought. This brings a stimulating and exhilaratingcover, three candles positioned with two below
reading experience to her work, and makesand one higher up. It's obvious to me now the
Erudition stand out with candor and honestycandles symbolize a memorial, to Grace's
beyond many other literary works.deceased father, and the two of them now must
There is a moment in a mother's life when herfind their way to live their lives together. I wonder
daughter says to her, "Mom, I hate you!"if the two candles represent the union of the
Because of the turmoil and conflict of theparents conceiving Grace, the higher candle, or if
mother-daughter relationship, Jocelyn Crawleythe dad is the higher candle, up in heaven, and the
writes razor sharp dialog with italic thoughts in atwo burning below are Grace and Veronica. I'll let
fashion as combative as a Ninja Warrior takingyou figure that one out.
out an enemy. Her chapters begin with a few