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Graphic: Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Gaslighting
Graphic: Cancer, Miscarriage, Kidnapping, Grief
Moderate: Racism, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Colonisation
Graphic: Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Terminal illness, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, Alcohol
I listened to the audiobook and really enjoyed the narration of Aaliya Warbus and Jordan Waunch. This is a very slow-paced book with a focus on character vignettes and development. I didn’t think the “reveal” was particularly shocking or riveting because I had guessed it pretty early on. However, knowing the major spoiler framed my reading experience in witnessing one of the character’s suspicions and overall complicated feelings. This book takes place over the span of 50+ years & you’re given two main characters’ first-person POVs through rotating chapters. Though it was a bit predictable, I enjoyed the characters’ voices and journeys so I would try another book by this author in the future.
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infertility, Miscarriage, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Gaslighting
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cancer, Death, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Miscarriage, Terminal illness, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Racism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Dementia, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Moderate: Cursing
Graphic: Death, Miscarriage, Terminal illness, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol
Graphic: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Racial slurs, Racism, Terminal illness, Violence, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Murder, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Miscarriage, Dementia, Death of parent, Pregnancy
Moderate: Cancer, Death, Infertility, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Racism, Terminal illness, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Alcohol
I liked what it had to say about how families being separated destroys the family from inside and out, but wished that there was more discussion about how Norma's culture being taken from her affected her and her sense of self. She wondered about things, but I think it would have been more powerful had there been a stronger presentation here of how it changed her trajectory. Joe was an interesting character because we saw how the tragedies in his family affected him. The before and after. How grief and especially anger derailed his future and caused him and his loved ones pain. And the resolution at the end was even more bittersweet because we saw the whole picture. But who would Ruthie have been? What did being Norma cost her?
The cover is absolutely stunning. Not sure the title and cover accurately represent the book's plot but I love it anyways.
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Miscarriage, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Alcohol
Moderate: Terminal illness, Medical content, Dementia, Medical trauma, Colonisation
Minor: Fatphobia