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dianakamau's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3.75
claridona's review against another edition
5.0
I really liked Chariandy's voice and narration in the novel. Feels accessible and as if someone's genuinely telling you a story.
aqilahreads's review against another edition
2.0
a nice and short read about the author, david chariandy's letter to his daughter to talk about the politics of race; sharing his personal & past stories/experiences of growing up as an "outsider" in canada.
it was so reflective but didnt quite able to connect with this one well unfortunately & there were a couple of times where i thought that the story flow was pretty off & i dont know what to actually feel about it. wished i was able to enjoy this more!
it was so reflective but didnt quite able to connect with this one well unfortunately & there were a couple of times where i thought that the story flow was pretty off & i dont know what to actually feel about it. wished i was able to enjoy this more!
cshan02's review against another edition
5.0
I like this book more than Brother: a Novel. This book is more direct and the author addressed his thought on racism in Canada, currently.
People love to ask me that worse question, "what are you?" I remembered three years ago, when I was still lived in Vancouver, at a tailor's store, while I was writing down my phone number on the pick up sheet, this white owner looked me up and down, up and down, and he said, " you know, I am very very good at telling the differents between Asians. But you are a very hard one for me, so, what are you?"
"I am a human being." I stopped writing and looking back to him.
"No," he thought I didn't understand what he said, "I am asking what kind of Asian you are, what are you?"
I did not say anything at the end and left.
I usually don't mind people ask where I came from, it is true that I am yellow, and I am not a Canadian. But I just don't like the commons they give to me after hearing my answers, such as, "China is bad, that's why you are here," or, "do you eat dog? I know you do," or, "Beijing is very dirty."
All of those are insults to me.
Two weeks ago, at a street party on Canada Day, a white lady asked me how come I love both Japanese and Chinese culture after I shared my background with her.
She said, China is sacred in a very bad way.
I told my mom after, my mom responsed me, " that's okay, let her say whatever, what your love and passion of your heritages are all vital to yourself. None of her business. I am sorry that I pushed you to choose one side when you were little, but now, I want to tell you, you are not a half, you are double. So be proud of yourself."
Similarly, in this book, the author shared the message of appreciating one's own heritage and family history.
A great great great read, love it.
People love to ask me that worse question, "what are you?" I remembered three years ago, when I was still lived in Vancouver, at a tailor's store, while I was writing down my phone number on the pick up sheet, this white owner looked me up and down, up and down, and he said, " you know, I am very very good at telling the differents between Asians. But you are a very hard one for me, so, what are you?"
"I am a human being." I stopped writing and looking back to him.
"No," he thought I didn't understand what he said, "I am asking what kind of Asian you are, what are you?"
I did not say anything at the end and left.
I usually don't mind people ask where I came from, it is true that I am yellow, and I am not a Canadian. But I just don't like the commons they give to me after hearing my answers, such as, "China is bad, that's why you are here," or, "do you eat dog? I know you do," or, "Beijing is very dirty."
All of those are insults to me.
Two weeks ago, at a street party on Canada Day, a white lady asked me how come I love both Japanese and Chinese culture after I shared my background with her.
She said, China is sacred in a very bad way.
I told my mom after, my mom responsed me, " that's okay, let her say whatever, what your love and passion of your heritages are all vital to yourself. None of her business. I am sorry that I pushed you to choose one side when you were little, but now, I want to tell you, you are not a half, you are double. So be proud of yourself."
Similarly, in this book, the author shared the message of appreciating one's own heritage and family history.
A great great great read, love it.
jenncatanzaro's review against another edition
4.0
“What happened?” | On Day 85 I wanted to share with you David Chariandy’s, “I’ve Been Meaning to Tell You: A Letter to my Daughter”. Chariandy’s work is fantastic and anyone who knows me, or who has been following this account for awhile, knows that I absolutely love my local reads. Chariandy composes this letter as a way to discuss the politics of race with his daughter. He writes, “I can glimpse, through the lens of my own experience, how a parent or grandparent, encouraged to remain silent and feel ashamed of themselves, may nevertheless find the strength to voice directly to a child a truer story of ancestry, and, in the closeness of voice and breath and chosen language, pass on a legacy of sorrow and power and luminous specificity that honours the past and reveals to the listener a livable future.”
zoemig's review against another edition
5.0
Brother was one of the most powerful books I read last year, so I was very interested when I learned about I've Been Meaning To Tell You by David Chariandy, a non-fiction memoir/essay/letter to his daughter by the same author. Like Brother, this is a short but incredibly powerful book, with a sharp awareness and honesty about the world. It is a beautiful letter to a daughter, but at the same time, so much more. Of course, it reminded me of Dear Ijeawele, or a Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (reviewed here), although the focus of Chariandy's book deals more with race and less with feminism. However, like Adichie, Chariandy's book is bigger than its title. I especially enjoyed the passages relating to Chariandy's parents coming to Canada from Trinidad as well as his own story of growing up. I also really appreciated Chariandy's discussion of some of the issues Canada faces, which I don't often find represented in books. Overall, I've Been Meaning To Tell You is introspective, heartfelt, honest and an absolute must-read.