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akaspiderlily's review against another edition
5.0
Moderate: Rape, Gun violence, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Forced institutionalization, Racism, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Grief, Murder, Sexism, Misogyny, Homophobia, Torture, Sexual violence, Racial slurs, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, Sexual content, Incest, Hate crime, Abandonment, Addiction, Sexual assault, Drug abuse, Medical trauma, and Lesbophobia
hxcpanda's review against another edition
3.75
Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Hate crime, Transphobia, Sexual violence, Classism, Rape, and Lesbophobia
gunnerct's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Rape and Misogyny
Moderate: Sexual violence, Racial slurs, and Sexual assault
Minor: Slavery
slinkmalink's review against another edition
4.5
It felt almost anonymous in the way that it sweeps through such different lives and ones that we don't hear about much and treats each of their dreams and lives as just one in thousands of both different and shared dreams, examples of individuals in a chorus, and yet also deeply personal in its treatment of all the women it looked at.
I just thought it really brought to life in such a poetic way the people behind the limited (perspective wise and quantity wise) sources we have about black women after emancipation and I'm very glad I picked it up
Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Racism, Police brutality, Slavery, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, and Forced institutionalization
saint_eleanor's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, Racial slurs, and Racism
Moderate: Rape and Domestic abuse
Minor: Child abuse and Child death
katiewhocanread's review against another edition
Graphic: Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Police brutality, Rape, Racial slurs, Racism, and Pedophilia
gsher002's review against another edition
4.75
Graphic: Slavery, Murder, Child abuse, Sexual violence, Racial slurs, Rape, Police brutality, and Physical abuse
dominic_t's review against another edition
5.0
It's a history book, but it's written through the eyes of the Black people who are the subjects. The book focuses on gender marginalized Black people. Most are cis women, but some of them expressed masculine identities and ambivalence regarding gender and might not have identified as women. The author used archival materials to glean details about their lives and then wrote from their perspectives. She provided historical context as to what was going on around them and how that might impact their choices. The author has a lot of love for the people she's writing about, and that comes through in the text. I think it's great that she expresses admiration for the people she writes about. She points out the ways in which their lives were groundbreaking and innovative. She shows how they struggled and fought back against a deeply racist, cruel society.
I also learned a lot about the Great Migration, and she showed very clearly how the anti-Black policing at that time provided a foundation for the racist policing practices today. She writes very detailed accounts of lynching and prison conditions. It was sometimes painful to read, but it gave me a really clear look at what was going on at the time.
I really liked the framing devices she used. She had some chapters that compared the subjects' stories to movies or theater. She used archival photos in ways that really enhanced the story.
Overall, this was a great book.
Graphic: Murder, Rape, Racism, Homophobia, Transphobia, Racial slurs, Child abuse, and Emotional abuse
antonique_reads's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Rape, Abandonment, Racism, Racial slurs, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Police brutality, Miscarriage, Violence, Sexual harassment, Physical abuse, Lesbophobia, Infidelity, Homophobia, Forced institutionalization, Emotional abuse, Classism, Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, and Death
laurareads87's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Violence, Forced institutionalization, Racism, Racial slurs, Police brutality, and Confinement
Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Torture, and Sexual violence
Minor: Gun violence