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alic59books's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.75
essjay1's review
5.0
A wonderful longform essay on belonging, on family, on home (what is home? where are we really “from” - the place some of our ancestors left or the place where we grew up?), and on the inter-generational lies we tell to keep moving forward, and the sacrifices we make for the future generations. If you have ever lived away from the place you grew up, this will resonate. A really beautiful piece of writing about what it is to exist in more than one place, to be broader than a label, to have depths beneath the shape of your face or the colour of your skin.
evert12345's review
3.0
heel effectief maar alsnog zou ik willen dat het langer was! ik vond de opdeling in twee stukken wel oké maar zou willen dat het iets meer in elkaar overliep, zodat het niet voelt als twee losse essays. alsnog heel mooi geschreven!
_askthebookbug's review
5.0
A book of under 100 pages that speaks volumes is such a rarity. And Tash Aw's memoir of his family is one such marvel. Tracing his family's roots, Aw speaks of how it feels like to be an immigrant even decades later. Not only does he cover his grandparents' journey to the Malay Peninsula and how they had to adapt in a new place but he also speaks about living with a face that both belongs and also makes one ask where he's from.
It's the second part of the book that I truly loved reading, in which he speaks about his grandmother. There's something very moving about the way he writes about her upbringing. There's a lot to unpack from this short memoir, making one ponder over their own roots. This book reminded me of a short post that I wrote a year ago about carrying certain traits that once belonged to our parents and grandparents.
The writing is exceptional, flawless and so wholesome. Tash Aw's words will probably stay with me for a very long time, like how I treasure fallen flowers between the pages of a book.
I can't recommend this book enough. And I can't wait to read more by @tash.aw
It's the second part of the book that I truly loved reading, in which he speaks about his grandmother. There's something very moving about the way he writes about her upbringing. There's a lot to unpack from this short memoir, making one ponder over their own roots. This book reminded me of a short post that I wrote a year ago about carrying certain traits that once belonged to our parents and grandparents.
The writing is exceptional, flawless and so wholesome. Tash Aw's words will probably stay with me for a very long time, like how I treasure fallen flowers between the pages of a book.
I can't recommend this book enough. And I can't wait to read more by @tash.aw