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millibee's review
5.0
From the very first line, I had a grip on who this wonderful writer was and that I was in safe hands with her accessible style. Root and Branch is a multi-faceted and personal look at 'the materiality of living' through the experience of being a second-generation Turkish woman in Sydney. Eda Gunaydin taps into themes of family, culture, food, diet culture, sexuality, class, ethnicity and gender.
I felt both enlightened and vindicated by just how relatable some of these essays are. Gunaydin's writing is both raw and funny at times, as well as being informative and encouraging of the reader to be a better critical thinker.
I found myself giggling when particular memes or Twitter posts were mentioned and the healthy balance of cynicism and romanticisation of one's own day-to-day felt entirely familiar. I can't wait to give Root and Branch a
second read and possibly a third, because I don't think I can put it down, even now.
deb_prosp's review
challenging
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
slow-paced
4.75
Loved this essay collection so much. Gunaydin's thought process of teasing out the discomforts of being part of Australia's diasporic communities helped me process my own thoughts.
megann__'s review
4.0
this is such an amazing collection of essays!
it tackles identity, gentrification and intergenerational trauma under the lens of a person from a migrant family.
i think these kinds of insights are super useful to read as a way to reflect on australianess and what that actually means!! and also how changing societal values are detrimental to people's racial identity through the perception of others.
it tackles identity, gentrification and intergenerational trauma under the lens of a person from a migrant family.
i think these kinds of insights are super useful to read as a way to reflect on australianess and what that actually means!! and also how changing societal values are detrimental to people's racial identity through the perception of others.
liap's review
5.0
Loved the style, the Sydney interiors and sense of place. There was an assertion in the book (and on the blurb) that Eda likes writing essays because she always thinks she’s right and I agree (I think this is a common feeling, not just of essay writers), but I also think writing essays forces you to challenge and justify your views, which is a good thing
bougainvillaya's review
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
2.75
i think that ultimately, this book was not written for me. from the many turkish phrases that i simply did not understand to the depressing self-deprecation and secrecy, it just hits all the wrong notes for me. however, "shit-eating" was excellent, and there was definitely a sense of purpose that i identified with strongly. i think that the author has a lot to say, and those things are somewhat valueable, but i dont know that they are all valuable for me. not much more to say there.