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helen_t_reads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
On the surface, Alice is exactly where she should be in life: she’s just given birth to a beautiful baby girl; her ever-charming husband – an academic whose area of study is conveniently her own Mohawk culture – is nothing but supportive; and they’ve moved into a home in a wealthy neighbourhood. But strange things have started happening. Alice finds herself hearing voices she can’t explain and speaking with things that should not be talking back to her, all while her neighbours’ passive aggression begins to morph into something far more threatening…
The narrative of this novel is infused with native American culture and myth, as well as mystery and surrealism. As the story unfolds the narrative becomes increasingly hallucinatory, and, at one point is both time and mind bending, but if you stick with it you are rewarded by a very clever and satisfying conclusion where the future reaches back to rescue the past.
Within the novel, the author uses the 'story within a story' technique. Alice is reworking a Haudenosaunee creation story, and sections of her work in progress are interspersed between the chapters. As her version of the Creation story is revealed to us we see that whilst she respects the culture, reverence and power of Mohawk storytelling the tone she has adopted eschews the traditional for something younger, hip, more flippant and vernacular.
This interweaving of the Sky Woman myth, allows both Alice and the reader to reflect on its relevance to Alice's own life, and also mirror the similarities between it and her situation, as she perceives it.
The characters are well created, especially Alice, and her situation as a new mother resonates. She has a memorable voice and tone, which is both darkly funny, and raw.
Alicia Elliott shows equally skill on her creation of the ambiguous and sometimes unpleasant neighbours, her husband Steve's colleagues, and Steve too sometimes, and we share Alice's mistrust of them.
The novel explores a number of very powerful and at times disturbing themes: intergenerational trauma; bereavement and grief; identity; feeling cut off from one's culture and adjusting to married life in a new city after life on the reservation; experiencing daily microaggressions, overt and subtle racism, constant unfairnesses, injustice and persecution that come with that; cultural appropriation by the liberal educated middle-class and by academics; the challenges of new motherhood, and, the nightmarish experience of a post-partum psychosis induced mental breakdown.
This is an intense, thought-provoking, and powerful novel offering insight to Mohawk culture and persecution (past and present), as well as post-natal mental health, all leavened with flashes of dry humour and social commentary. A book which I'm sure will live on in my head for quite some time to come.
rootsinmydreamland13's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
faz93's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
yvanngo's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Addiction, Gaslighting, Death of parent, Drug use, and Grief
CW: The main character suffers from postpartum depression.annetjeberg's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
elenareads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
melc's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
owil107's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
mjminkowich's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
readbyjennifer's review against another edition
2.0
this book was bat**** crazy and not in a good way. it was dull, aimlessly meandering, and at least 100 pages too long. i honestly couldn't wait for it to be over; i only finished it because it was long-listed for the 2024 women's prize.