Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

The Space Between Black and White by Esuantsiwa Jane Goldsmith

1 review

abbie_'s review

Go to review page

emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced
Esuantsiwa Jane Goldsmith has lived an incredibly rich life so far! I’m so glad she’s had the opportunity to share it with us through Jacaranda’s Twenty in 2020 publishing initiative; this memoir is definitely my favourite of the series so far!
.
Born to a white British mother and a Ghanaian father, Esuantsiwa was brought up as Jane by her working-class disabled mother on a housing estate in London in the 50s with no other mixed-race or Black children around. This book traverses her life so far across six decades. Esuantsiwa has constantly grappled with her identity, never feeling Black enough or white enough, occupying that space in between and never quite seeming to fit in anywhere.
.
I really enjoyed the style - each section is written as if she were writing at that age, totally inhabiting that mindset. This way we feel as if we are growing with the author, and it reads like a dream. I thought certain episodes felt rushed, but in her introduction she states that she doesn’t want to tell someone else’s story, so I respect that she needed to keep it to her own narrative. I’m also not a fan of accents being written out phonetically, whether it’s German or Irish or anything, but that’s a minor pet peeve.
.
I particularly found her search for her father compelling, seeking the other side of her identity after being brought up in an all-white family. This memoir is full to the brim of moving episodes, wisdom, pain, love, frustration, humour, joy - just full of life!
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
More...