HALL WAYS BLOG'S AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: This book. I don’t know where to begin my gushing about Just
a Hat, which is quite possibly my favorite book of the year so far. Maybe I
start with 1978, Hazel, Texas.
Small-town Texas. 1978 and every other year of our Lord.
Sigh.
I enjoyed returning to the seventies and recalling things
like biking to the 7-11 and friends who joined resources wondering, “what would
they buy with their pooled seventy-eight cents?” I remember the expense of a long-distance
phone call and not having a quick and easy way to communicate with my parents
if my plans changed or I ran into trouble. But if not for these little
reminders the author dropped along the way, the novel could very well be set in
current times. The narrow-mindedness of
ill-informed folks and their prejudices, stereotyping, and anger and fear of
anyone who is “other” sadly persists in small-town Texas and beyond.
“Rage. Control.
RAGE.”
Author Shanah Khubiar has written some magnificent
characters who just pop from the page. The emotions of the main character,
nearly-thirteen-year-old Joseph, are palpable. As he tries to take control and
adhere to his father’s teachings, Joseph learns to channel his anger into throwing
a football, and here again, Khubiar slides in a reality of pretty much any year
in Texas: football is king and often times, is the great equalizer.
Kids will love that there are curse words in other languages
(Hebrew & Arabic & Farsi), and those reading with their ears will
learn the correct pronunciations. To
that point -- the author doesn’t shy away from using all the horrible,
derogatory terms that ignorant people used…and continue to use. Hate words. I
think it’s the right choice to include them because it lends authenticity to
the story and the shock of hearing them reminds the reader how powerful words
are, then suggests:
“Let words change us
and make us better people.”
The audiobook narration is outstanding, and Ramiz Monsef’s
performance perfectly complements Khubiar’s writing. Hearing Monsef voice the characters and pronounce
words that were unfamiliar to me added an additional layer of realism to Just
a Hat and made the story unforgettable. Pacing was perfect and I listened at
1x speed. Top-notch recording quality, too. Blackstone Audio never disappoints.
I highly recommend Just a Hat to readers of all ages
because it’s not only a well-written, entertaining story that’s colored with
humor and heartbreak, but it’s also a reminder that we must continue fighting
the same battles to overcome hate, prejudice, and biases that persist.
