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sophie42's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Medical content
philippakmoore's review against another edition
3.0
A very interesting book. Some beautifully insightful moments but the story was told in a very detached way where it was clear there was more going on but we as readers were kept at arms length a bit. However, as the author points out, if you can’t remember something or there are gaps in your memory, there was most likely pain....so be glad you don’t remember.
tatterededges's review against another edition
3.0
This is really quite a horrific and traumatic story told in a very detached and cold manner and while I liked the language and the writing style I found the whole thing lacking. Almost as though the impact of the events that unfolded were totally negated by the coldness of the person telling the story.
Ultimately I kind of walked away from the book not really caring one way or the other about any of them, which is a shame because when you think about what happened it was really a story that warrants more attention.
Ultimately I kind of walked away from the book not really caring one way or the other about any of them, which is a shame because when you think about what happened it was really a story that warrants more attention.
theangrystackrat's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse
rachhenderson's review against another edition
3.0
This book is about the author dealing with her 90+yo parents as their health fails. The blurb on the back mentions that her mother has been starving her father. The front says "The family secrets are only just beginning to be unravel..." but SPOILER
The book really only covers a very small time period and only hints at the traumatic childhood that the author must have experienced. It really only scratches the surface and leaves more questions than it asks.
For memoirs about dysfunctional families, I much prefer [b:The Glass Castle|7445|The Glass Castle|Jeannette Walls|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1523542886l/7445._SY75_.jpg|2944133] and [b:Educated|35133922|Educated|Tara Westover|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1506026635l/35133922._SY75_.jpg|53814228].
Spoiler
there are no other secrets, at least not revealed in the book.The book really only covers a very small time period and only hints at the traumatic childhood that the author must have experienced. It really only scratches the surface and leaves more questions than it asks.
For memoirs about dysfunctional families, I much prefer [b:The Glass Castle|7445|The Glass Castle|Jeannette Walls|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1523542886l/7445._SY75_.jpg|2944133] and [b:Educated|35133922|Educated|Tara Westover|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1506026635l/35133922._SY75_.jpg|53814228].
emilyfrizz's review against another edition
3.0
A different kind of book that looks at family, home, and broken relationships. The disconnected narrator was an interesting lens to view the story through and I also appreciated the sense of place and elements of the Canadian landscape that were included.
carole888's review against another edition
4.0
An unusual read as it is a true story based on the Author's life. This is dark but there were also parts that made me smile. It brought out mixed emotions and I kept on reading. I can understand why this won the Stella Prize in 2019. This was a beautiful read, for despite those dark moments, there was a great deal of positivity. I also loved the descriptions of the country and little snippets of information about the various locations too.