Reviews tagging 'Deportation'

We Measure the Earth with Our Bodies by Tsering Yangzom Lama

6 reviews

mondovertigo's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation

Minor: Deportation

lenaricharz's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Death of parent, and Grief

Moderate: Infidelity, Alcoholism, and Addiction

Minor: Deportation

paguroidea's review

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Loved the writing and insight into the culture of Tibetan people, but there is no way to learn about that without the truth of their suffering- both under monastic feudalism (in some regions previously) and as refugees forced out of their own country. It is not an emotionally easy read by any means. It was well worth reading despite that.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Deportation, Colonisation, Alcoholism, and Grief

Moderate: Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, War, and Infidelity

hollyd19's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

This epic follows a family of Tibetan refugees from their flight to Nepal during China’s Cultural Revolution through to Vancouver in 2012. Sisters Lhamo and Tenkyi are young girls when their family is forced to flee violence and cultural erasure. They land in a refugee camp set up in Nepal for the incoming migrants, and the book follows their unfolding lives.

The structure of this novel is creative with sections delineated by relational groupings (daughters, sisters, lovers, etc). The story goes back and forth from the 50s until nearly present day, converging to bring the whole story into focus. The writing is truly exceptional. Several passages bowled be over with poetic, insistent prose determined to scrub away grit from a window and reveal beyond wise, hard-earned truths. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Death of parent, Racism, Colonisation, Grief, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Abandonment, Addiction, Genocide, Mental illness, Cultural appropriation, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, and Alcoholism

Minor: Deportation and Pregnancy

internationalreads's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Blood, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Grief, Alcohol, Death, Death of parent, Deportation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence

Moderate: Sexual content

sarah984's review

challenging hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I thought this book was really well done and managed to showcase a lot of heavy concepts regarding exile, trauma, survival and continuity of culture in a relatively low page count. I enjoyed the multiple points of view as many characters looked at the same situation in entirely different ways. The trajectory and different meanings of the Nameless Saint were my favourite parts of the novel. It meandered a bit in the middle with a sort of melodramatic romance that didn't really feel necessary but overall I loved this.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent and Grief

Moderate: Cultural appropriation, Death, War, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Colonisation, Genocide, and Xenophobia

Minor: Child death, Gun violence, Infidelity, Deportation, Pregnancy, Alcoholism, Animal death, Sexual content, Suicide, Ableism, Medical content, Vomit, and Racism