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vickytx's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.0
admacg's review against another edition
4.0
I started to listen to this audio book just when the complexities of brexit were starting to become apparent in the North of Ireland. Although a decade older than the author, I too shared the same anxieties she has about the border, that most porous of lines on a map, which I am only a couple of miles from, small country roads where I walked and listened to this book.
The book is a mixture of memoir, history and nature writing, which the author weaves beautifully. Kerri's early years are badly scarred by the troubles, and she experiences a lot of trauma, which follows her throughout her life. I found it difficult to listen to at times, and often had to take a break, such was the emotional intensity of it. The writing is beautiful and eloquent, with such strong imagery, and I felt glad that Kerri was telling her own story.
There is hope in the book, though, as Kerri returns and finds healing in the same lands she had fled from, in the 'thin places' of the title where she finds stillness and peace. As I finished the book in April of 2021, the thin strands of peace were being pulled at, tested for weakness. The author had a deep hope that there would be no return to 'the troubles', that the collective shared trauma was still recent and would prevent this. I hope so too.
The book is a mixture of memoir, history and nature writing, which the author weaves beautifully. Kerri's early years are badly scarred by the troubles, and she experiences a lot of trauma, which follows her throughout her life. I found it difficult to listen to at times, and often had to take a break, such was the emotional intensity of it. The writing is beautiful and eloquent, with such strong imagery, and I felt glad that Kerri was telling her own story.
There is hope in the book, though, as Kerri returns and finds healing in the same lands she had fled from, in the 'thin places' of the title where she finds stillness and peace. As I finished the book in April of 2021, the thin strands of peace were being pulled at, tested for weakness. The author had a deep hope that there would be no return to 'the troubles', that the collective shared trauma was still recent and would prevent this. I hope so too.
rcampbell's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
sarahgoldcrest's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.0
cliffhangerbooks's review against another edition
5.0
Thin places is an autobiographical account of the trauma the author experienced growing up in Derry during the Troubles and the ripple effect that Brexit causes over Ireland and Northern Irelands over 100 years after the Easter Rising. It seems too easy to say what this book is about, but not easy to describe how this book made me feel.
This book is about loss and grief. It’s about borders: personal, geographical and symbolic ones. But mostly is the journey of a woman coming to terms with herself and history. In the author’s words the history of the Irish border and herself intertwine and I don’t think they can be severed.
This book made me cry, it made my chest feel incredibly heavy, but I loved every single word in it. If you are feeling vulnerable I would be cautious reading this book (Tw: Suicide). I think the story she tells is remarkable and necessary. Wheather you know anything about the history of the Irish border or not I cannot encourage you enough to read this book and meet the people behind the numbers in history books, Dochartaigh deserves your attention.
This book is about loss and grief. It’s about borders: personal, geographical and symbolic ones. But mostly is the journey of a woman coming to terms with herself and history. In the author’s words the history of the Irish border and herself intertwine and I don’t think they can be severed.
This book made me cry, it made my chest feel incredibly heavy, but I loved every single word in it. If you are feeling vulnerable I would be cautious reading this book (Tw: Suicide). I think the story she tells is remarkable and necessary. Wheather you know anything about the history of the Irish border or not I cannot encourage you enough to read this book and meet the people behind the numbers in history books, Dochartaigh deserves your attention.