Reviews tagging 'Cancer'

Just as I Am by Cicely Tyson

2 reviews

leonormsousa's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Grief, Infidelity, Pregnancy, Sexism, Terminal illness, Classism, Alcoholism, Cancer, Medical content, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Death, Death of parent, and Racism

zombiezami's review against another edition

emotional funny inspiring medium-paced

4.0

Cicely Tyson is someone who my mother and grandmother both admired a lot. I didn't know much about her. My main connection to her was watching her on How to Get Away with Murder. I really enjoyed hearing about Tyson's career, outlook, and overall life in this book. I had no idea she was in a relationship with Miles Davis (because I also don't know much about his personal life), and I was really amazed and saddened that someone as talented and important as she was believed it was her job to fix his life. I also thought it was my job to fix a boyfriend's life when I was in high school. It's amazing how pervasive that messaging is for women. 

Although I liked the book a lot overall, there was a lot of respectability politics throughout, which I suppose isn't surprising for someone of Tyson's generation. For example, it struck me as very odd that she railed so hard against Blaxploitation films for their stereotypical depictions of Black folks, while at the same time being close friends with Tyler Perry and championing his work. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, Infidelity, Medical content, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Child abuse, Incest, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Slavery, and Vomit

Minor: Blood, Cancer, Genocide, Stalking, and Biphobia

Lynching, serophobia