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3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
This author has written one of the most powerful portrayals of mother hurt and how deeply it runs.
emotional
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidge Danticat
"I come from a place where breath, eyes, and memory are intertwined, a place where the past clings to you as naturally as the hair on your head."
Sophie Caco grows up in Haiti with her beloved Aunt Tante Atie, while her mother resides in New York. With no father and only a grandmother who lives far away, her world revolves around her aunt, whom she deeply cherishes.
At twelve, Sophie is abruptly sent to join her mother in New York—a decision she resists but cannot refuse. Once there, she uncovers the depth of her mother’s struggles, not just with making ends meet but also with haunting nightmares that seem to grow more intense with Sophie’s presence.
Can Sophie bring healing, or is her arrival only deepening her mother’s pain?
This novel explores a deeply layered mother-daughter bond, the lingering effects of trauma on mental health, and the realities of life in diaspora. It also offers a vivid portrayal of Haitian traditions and culture.
Danticat’s storytelling is nothing short of extraordinary—hard to believe this is her debut novel. I can’t wait to delve into more of her work.
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
So this is a book club pick, shout out to Amyn(The Indulgent Bibliophile)
I had started the audiobook but I kept putting it off. Something was not clicking. I decided to ditch it and get it on my kindle
Oh I made the best choice. This book snuck up on me in the best possible way 🥹🥹
This book explores the very delicate relationship between mothers and daughters. Oh I loved it so so much.
I was so scared that bad things would happen to Sophie, between us girls I did not trust Joseph because ewwww. I mean he turned out to be halfway decent but the fact that sex was painful for and he was having sex with her??? I don’t know man he rubbed me the wrong way. Even Marc in the beginning.
I absolutely adore Edwidge Danticat’s writing. She dealt with very sensitive issues in such a tender way.
I don’t know how to explain it but it scared me in the beginning, I thought this was going to be about struggle and persistent pain. Whilst the book spoke about very real struggles that the women had to face and the traumas that they had to deal with, it left me feeling sad but in a hopeful way? I don’t know how to explain it.
The women dealt with and had trauma passed unto them but the book was not traumatic? Am I making sense? l
I am so glad I read this. Can’t wait to discuss with the bookclub
I think I will have more coherent thoughts after bookclub.
I had started the audiobook but I kept putting it off. Something was not clicking. I decided to ditch it and get it on my kindle
Oh I made the best choice. This book snuck up on me in the best possible way 🥹🥹
This book explores the very delicate relationship between mothers and daughters. Oh I loved it so so much.
I absolutely adore Edwidge Danticat’s writing. She dealt with very sensitive issues in such a tender way.
The women dealt with and had trauma passed unto them but the book was not traumatic? Am I making sense?
I am so glad I read this. Can’t wait to discuss with the bookclub
I think I will have more coherent thoughts after bookclub.
this was a harrowing and deeply moving experience. this book is about mothers. about daughters. about girls. about women. this is a story about how trauma is passed on to children to keep a tradition. and a story about how we try to break them. about how it breaks us and how it seeps into our new lives even if we try to keep a distance from it.
while this sounds so fvcking sad (and it is heartbreaking), it is also ultimately a story of love and survival. love that survives through all the struggles and the nightmares and the pain that we carry, that we think defines us.
this is such a short book that packs so much emotional punch, and i will probably think about this for a while. k bye.
A tale about Haitian womanhood, and the relationships between mothers and daughters. Danticat's prose reads smoothly, and she handles emotional beats with a subtlety and delicacy that ends with the breaking of your heart.
adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Breath, Eyes, Memory gave me a moving glimpse into Haitian culture, which I really appreciated. I especially liked how the book explored the complexities of mother-daughter relationships—not just between Sophie and Martine, but also looking back at Martine, Atie, and their mother. It added layers to the story that made it feel rich and generational.
The novel tackles some very heavy topics like rape, sexual abuse, and suicide. While I respect that these were brought into the narrative, I did feel that they weren’t always woven as seamlessly as they could have been. There’s a lot of potential here, and I think the author has room to grow in how she handles such weighty themes.
My favorite character was Tante Atie—she had a quiet strength that really stayed with me.
The novel tackles some very heavy topics like rape, sexual abuse, and suicide. While I respect that these were brought into the narrative, I did feel that they weren’t always woven as seamlessly as they could have been. There’s a lot of potential here, and I think the author has room to grow in how she handles such weighty themes.
My favorite character was Tante Atie—she had a quiet strength that really stayed with me.