Reviews - Matriarch: A Memoir

622 reviews for:

I really enjoyed the beginning of this book. The early chapters gave a vivid, heartfelt look at Tina Knowles’s upbringing and personal journey, and I felt connected to her story in a genuine way. But once the narrative reached the point where Beyoncé became a household name, the tone shifted. From that point on, the book started to feel more like rumor control than memoir.

I also felt that some of the stories, while probably true, were edited in such a polished, detailed way that they started to feel artificial. For example, lengthy explanations about her involvement with United Airlines’s renaissance
Tickets or clarifying decades-old rumors about her children pulled me out of the emotional core of the book. These details didn’t add much to Tina Knowles’s own story, which is what I came for.

That said, the book is well-written and edited. It just felt, at times, like the story was serving public image more than personal reflection. The beginning was strong, but it lost focus and emotional depth as it went on.

nbonina's review against another edition

4.75

challenging emotional inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

mrswoods's review against another edition

4.0

hopeful inspiring

leapinglizards's review against another edition

4.0

emotional funny inspiring reflective medium-paced

da_mekah's review against another edition

4.0

emotional funny hopeful informative reflective fast-paced

nanaa_chui's review against another edition

4.0

inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing slow-paced

tamiafowlkes's review against another edition

5.0

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

I loved this memoir! It painted such a vivid and beautiful picture of southern upbringing, forging long lasting family bonds and building a legacy. There were so many delightful moments that shocked and surprised me. What a delight!