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sillyduckie's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Sexism, Abandonment, Eating disorder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Blood, Child abuse, Death, and Death of parent
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Colonisation
bookreviewswithkb's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
4.5 ✨
will make you cry
literary fiction
#readcaribbeanmonth pick
what do we miss out on when womens’ worth is determined by their virginity, their perceived wholeness, never having been touched? what do we miss out on when womens’ worth is determined by their cooking skills, how they bake and wash and iron and scrub? what do we miss out on when womens’ worth is tied to being a mother? what do we miss out on when women themselves believe their worth is tied to what they can give to others through their bodies, and they pass this on to their own daughters, and they never have the chance to heal from the trauma they’ve experienced? what do we miss out on…
“there is always a place where women live near trees that, blowing in the wind, sound like music. these women tell stories to their children both to frighten and delight them. these women, they are fluttering lanterns on the hills, the fireflies in the night, the faces that loom over you and recreate the same unspeakable acts they themselves lived through.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault
Moderate: Rape, Eating disorder, and Abandonment
valje's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-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? Yes
4.5
This is a story about women, family, mothers and daughters. I found it a quick read - fast-paced, leaving me breathless at times. It's a story about the violence women suffer by men and the extremes that mothers go to in order to protect their daughters, themselves and their families and the scars that leaves behind. It was my first Edwidge Danticat, but I'm sure it won't be my last.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, and Suicide
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