Summary
Piecing Me Together. The title of the book, Piecing Me Together, is a symbol of how the main character, Jade, is struggling to find out who she really is and how she fits into the world. The title is taken from a poem that includes the line, “piecing me back together.” In that poem, the writer is trying to overcome tragedy to piece herself. Piecing Me Together: Chapters 1 - 2 Summary & Analysis Next. Themes and Colors Key LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Piecing Me Together.
Chapter 8 begins with the phrase “algo en comun,” which means “something in common.” Sam and Jade sit together on the bus the next day. They talk about St. Francis and agree to meet for lunch. Jade is eager to get to know Sam.
Chapter 9 begins with the word “esperar,” which means “to wait.” It is now October, and Jade and Sam ride the bus and eat lunch together. On the day of the first meeting of the Woman to Woman program, Jade arrives to find her mentor – Maxine – has not arrived. A woman named Sabrina leads the meeting, describing why mentoring is important. Jade's mentor, Maxine, is not present. Sabrina has them all stand in a circle to introduce themselves, using the first letter of their name to add a descriptive word. She describes herself as “Silly Sabrina.” Jade, the only one without..
Piecing Me TogetherRenée Watson
Bloomsbury
Published February 14, 2017 Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads
Jade believes the only way she’ll find success is to get out of her neighborhood. That’s why she accepts a scholarship to a privileged, mostly white school. It’s why she puts her studies first—no time for boys, no time for goofing around. As a girl from a poor neighborhood, Jade knows she must appreciate the opportunities that come her way, even those that treat her as less-than. When she joins a mentorship program meant to help “at-risk” (read: black) girls, Jade’s frustration mounts. How is her so-called mentor supposed to teach her anything when she doesn’t have her own life together? How are the group’s pointless activities supposed to change anything for her?
As Jade wrestles with the injustices in her life, she begins to realize the only way things will change is for her to find her own voice, to speak up, and challenge the people around her. Her courage and vulnerability make her story deeply moving and accessible. When she shares her experiences with racism with a white friend, at one point her friend sort of shrugs and says, “I don’t know what you want me to say.” Jade’s ability to articulate this response—support me, believe me, she tells her friend—opens conversation and dialogue about race relations issues.
Overall, this is a rich story. Though Jade’s experiences may be different than some readers, it’s easy to connect with her, to love her, and to understand how she feels and why. It’s easy to cheer for her victories, as a young woman and an artist. I loved that she’s a collagist, and I loved the way her art was a key component of the story. I loved the way history (the story relates some information about York, an African American man who traveled with Lewis and Clark) and poetry played a key role in the story as well.
I definitely recommend this book to readers who enjoy contemporary fiction or novels about art and friendship.
Recommended for Ages 12 up.
Piecing Me Together Summary Sparknotes
Cultural Elements
Jade, her family, and her best friend Lee Lee are African American. Her mentor comes from a wealthy African American family. Her friend Sam is a white girl being raised by her grandparents. Jade is studying Spanish hoping for an opportunity to travel in an educational program. Each chapter begins with a Spanish word translated to English.
Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.
Romance/Sexual Content
Jade attends a meeting with her mentorship group that focuses on dating and relationships. She’s not interested in either one, and the conversation stays pretty vague.
Piecing Me Together. The title of the book, Piecing Me Together, is a symbol of how the main character, Jade, is struggling to find out who she really is and how she fits into the world. The title is taken from a poem that includes the line, “piecing me back together.” In that poem, the writer is trying to overcome tragedy to piece herself. Piecing Me Together: Chapters 1 - 2 Summary & Analysis Next. Themes and Colors Key LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Piecing Me Together.
Chapter 8 begins with the phrase “algo en comun,” which means “something in common.” Sam and Jade sit together on the bus the next day. They talk about St. Francis and agree to meet for lunch. Jade is eager to get to know Sam.
Chapter 9 begins with the word “esperar,” which means “to wait.” It is now October, and Jade and Sam ride the bus and eat lunch together. On the day of the first meeting of the Woman to Woman program, Jade arrives to find her mentor – Maxine – has not arrived. A woman named Sabrina leads the meeting, describing why mentoring is important. Jade's mentor, Maxine, is not present. Sabrina has them all stand in a circle to introduce themselves, using the first letter of their name to add a descriptive word. She describes herself as “Silly Sabrina.” Jade, the only one without..
Piecing Me TogetherRenée Watson
Bloomsbury
Published February 14, 2017 Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads
Jade believes the only way she’ll find success is to get out of her neighborhood. That’s why she accepts a scholarship to a privileged, mostly white school. It’s why she puts her studies first—no time for boys, no time for goofing around. As a girl from a poor neighborhood, Jade knows she must appreciate the opportunities that come her way, even those that treat her as less-than. When she joins a mentorship program meant to help “at-risk” (read: black) girls, Jade’s frustration mounts. How is her so-called mentor supposed to teach her anything when she doesn’t have her own life together? How are the group’s pointless activities supposed to change anything for her?
As Jade wrestles with the injustices in her life, she begins to realize the only way things will change is for her to find her own voice, to speak up, and challenge the people around her. Her courage and vulnerability make her story deeply moving and accessible. When she shares her experiences with racism with a white friend, at one point her friend sort of shrugs and says, “I don’t know what you want me to say.” Jade’s ability to articulate this response—support me, believe me, she tells her friend—opens conversation and dialogue about race relations issues.
Overall, this is a rich story. Though Jade’s experiences may be different than some readers, it’s easy to connect with her, to love her, and to understand how she feels and why. It’s easy to cheer for her victories, as a young woman and an artist. I loved that she’s a collagist, and I loved the way her art was a key component of the story. I loved the way history (the story relates some information about York, an African American man who traveled with Lewis and Clark) and poetry played a key role in the story as well.
I definitely recommend this book to readers who enjoy contemporary fiction or novels about art and friendship.
Recommended for Ages 12 up.
Piecing Me Together Summary SparknotesCultural Elements
Jade, her family, and her best friend Lee Lee are African American. Her mentor comes from a wealthy African American family. Her friend Sam is a white girl being raised by her grandparents. Jade is studying Spanish hoping for an opportunity to travel in an educational program. Each chapter begins with a Spanish word translated to English.
Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.
Romance/Sexual Content
Jade attends a meeting with her mentorship group that focuses on dating and relationships. She’s not interested in either one, and the conversation stays pretty vague.
Spiritual Content
Jade comes home to her mom listening to gospel music and cleaning. Following a terrible event, Jade asks her uncle to say a prayer. He calls prayer a “poor man’s drug,” and tells Jade the person she needs to be talking to isn’t God but politicians who can make changes. Jade prays anyway.
Violent Content
Four police officers beat up an unarmed fifteen-year-old black girl when they break up a party. Jade and her friend hear about it on the news, but feel shaken up.
Drug Content
None.
Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
