Member Review
Review by
Richetta T, Educator
I received this book for free from Feiwel & Friends in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
When I taught Advanced Placement Literature, I started the year off with Wuthering Heights. One year I came across a movie version of the book that cast Heathcliff as Black. This lead me down a road of research and annotation to prove that this perspective of Heathcliff being a person of color was correct. So needless to say I’ve been waiting in high anticipation for What Souls Are Made Of by Tasha Suri, a Wuthering Heights remix to come out. Plus, the book cover is a ten!
I really enjoyed this multicultural remix! I loved the decisions that the author made with the story. Her choices brought historical and cultural context in a space that was previously missing it.
Original Wuthering Heights
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte is dark, gothic and tragic. There is an abundance of cruelty that passes from one character to the next. The plot includes domestic violence, alcoholism, childhood trauma and revenge. Catherine and Heathcliff are a couple so perfect for each other, yet doomed by cruelty, societal standards and expectations.
The Remix
In Tasha Suri’s What Souls Are Made Of, the plot framing stays true to the original, but gives a voice to one character we never heard enough from. Catherine.
In this remix, we get to hear Cathy’s thoughts and motivations. For those who read the original Wuthering Heights, when I say Cathy, I am referring to the girl Heathcliff was in love with, not her daughter. IYKYK. The book also covers the space that was left out of the original – what happened while Heathcliff was gone. Their separation leads to discoveries about their own identities and inner character. It also opens up new paths to these originally, extremely tragic characters.
The chapters alternate between the two character’s points of views. Both of them are telling a story and essentially addressing their missing half at the same time. I really enjoyed the prose of the novel. It is almost lyrical in its use of simple sentence structure to convey complicated emotions that both Heathcliff and Cathy have for each other and about their situation.
South Asian Representation
In What Souls Are Made Of, Suri brings back the multicultural and multidimensional reality that Great Britain was at the time the novel was set. Heathcliff is readily identifiable as the son of a lascar. A lascar, was a sailor from India or South Asia. In Wuthering Heights, he is only seen as the ultimate outsider, a darker skinned boy with no family, history or place. At least not one that is identified by Bronte. In this remix, Heathcliff’s past is still mysterious, but he is given a culture to identify with.
The Earnshaw family also has a connection to India, as Mr. Earnshaw was an East India Company officer in Bengal. The book explores the colonialist connections between Britain and India. I recommend that you read the Author’s Note at the end of the book that discusses this further.
When I taught Advanced Placement Literature, I started the year off with Wuthering Heights. One year I came across a movie version of the book that cast Heathcliff as Black. This lead me down a road of research and annotation to prove that this perspective of Heathcliff being a person of color was correct. So needless to say I’ve been waiting in high anticipation for What Souls Are Made Of by Tasha Suri, a Wuthering Heights remix to come out. Plus, the book cover is a ten!
I really enjoyed this multicultural remix! I loved the decisions that the author made with the story. Her choices brought historical and cultural context in a space that was previously missing it.
Original Wuthering Heights
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte is dark, gothic and tragic. There is an abundance of cruelty that passes from one character to the next. The plot includes domestic violence, alcoholism, childhood trauma and revenge. Catherine and Heathcliff are a couple so perfect for each other, yet doomed by cruelty, societal standards and expectations.
The Remix
In Tasha Suri’s What Souls Are Made Of, the plot framing stays true to the original, but gives a voice to one character we never heard enough from. Catherine.
In this remix, we get to hear Cathy’s thoughts and motivations. For those who read the original Wuthering Heights, when I say Cathy, I am referring to the girl Heathcliff was in love with, not her daughter. IYKYK. The book also covers the space that was left out of the original – what happened while Heathcliff was gone. Their separation leads to discoveries about their own identities and inner character. It also opens up new paths to these originally, extremely tragic characters.
The chapters alternate between the two character’s points of views. Both of them are telling a story and essentially addressing their missing half at the same time. I really enjoyed the prose of the novel. It is almost lyrical in its use of simple sentence structure to convey complicated emotions that both Heathcliff and Cathy have for each other and about their situation.
South Asian Representation
In What Souls Are Made Of, Suri brings back the multicultural and multidimensional reality that Great Britain was at the time the novel was set. Heathcliff is readily identifiable as the son of a lascar. A lascar, was a sailor from India or South Asia. In Wuthering Heights, he is only seen as the ultimate outsider, a darker skinned boy with no family, history or place. At least not one that is identified by Bronte. In this remix, Heathcliff’s past is still mysterious, but he is given a culture to identify with.
The Earnshaw family also has a connection to India, as Mr. Earnshaw was an East India Company officer in Bengal. The book explores the colonialist connections between Britain and India. I recommend that you read the Author’s Note at the end of the book that discusses this further.
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