Reviews with content warning for Suicide - Padrona di casa

This is truly unlike anything I've read. I've never read Robinson before and I'm interested in the Gilead trilogy but it seemed right to start here.

I'm not even sure what to say about it. A young girl gives an account of her trauma and childhood. Throughout there are small, unexpected details in her story that give an almost cold magic to the writing. That's the best I can describe it.

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kathryn_saulinas's review against another edition

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challenging emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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mariamnel's review against another edition

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challenging emotional sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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stevie's review against another edition

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reflective sad slow-paced

4.25

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kell_xavi's review against another edition

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reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

This is a somber novel flush with strangeness. It is narrated by Ruthie, and begins with a story of her grandfather taking a train into Fingerbone and staying there, where her grandmother would raise four daughters alone, and the daughters would flee and some would return to wander through and leave parts of themselves behind. Two main themes are home and family, and how melancholy can pervade these both—the story takes place mainly in Fingerbone, between its train and its river, and often within the walls of the house Ruthie’s grandfather built. Both place and lineage hold tragedy, mental illness or neurodivergence creating spaces between people, silences, dissociative hazes, passivity or disinterest or simply desires for elsewhere and other people.

Robinson writes in beautiful language that reads like clear water. Though some parts of this book are heavy, full of filth, discomfort and neglect that made me anxious and sad, the writing binds them together with crisp imagery, reflection on religion and memory, a sense of peace within the creeping fear. I look forward to reading more by her.

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