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jamieastone's review against another edition
3.0
I struggled with whether to give this 3 or 4 stars--at different points in the book, I could have gone either way. There is a lot to love about this book and a lot that I was interested in--memoir, learning about what it is like to live in Ireland, and nature writing. However, this was very difficult to read because the author experienced so much trauma and violence growing up in Ireland during the Troubles. Much of the memoir is focused on her dealing with that trauma, and it isn't until the very end that there seems to be any kind of redemption for her. I struggled a bit with the timeline--this is not told in chronological order, and sometimes that left me confused and/or wanting more details about the events she shares. I also think that mixing memoir with nature writing felt a bit off at times, and it sometimes left me feeling disjointed and disconnected from the author's story. I feel like I learned a little about Ireland and I'm glad I read this, but in the end the story was so bleak that it was just really hard to read.
hrsblue's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
5.0
sydfay03's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
4.25
finished this one right before the end of the month. this book was beautiful from start to finish. the imagery was stunning and the words so moving. i loved reading this as part of my learning on the violence in Ireland in the late 1900s. this memoir is special on its own and as part of a collection of works discussing and reflecting on that period in time in Ireland
emilybh's review against another edition
4.0
'Through deeply traumatic and unsettled times I have been brought or found my own way across that border to seek solace in the weeds and wilderness held its hidden, healing, thin places.'
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Thin Places by Kerri ní Dochartaigh is a beautifully written book that deals with raw, difficult experiences in a wise and careful way. It is about borders and trauma, love and loss, and the edges of nature, from lichen on rocks, to a moth by the sea or ladybirds in the backyard of a house on a council estate. A moving account of the author's life on the boundary between the North and South of Ireland, and a book that feels right for this dark and in-between time we're living through.
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Thin Places by Kerri ní Dochartaigh is a beautifully written book that deals with raw, difficult experiences in a wise and careful way. It is about borders and trauma, love and loss, and the edges of nature, from lichen on rocks, to a moth by the sea or ladybirds in the backyard of a house on a council estate. A moving account of the author's life on the boundary between the North and South of Ireland, and a book that feels right for this dark and in-between time we're living through.
mpatterson610's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.5
I really loved the authors voice and her story of grief and trauma was beautifully told and wound up with Ireland and natural history.