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4.34 AVERAGE
4.34 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
"To survive trauma one must be able to tell a story about it."
I think this book is very much a case of the author trying to survive her trauma. This is just a really fucking sad story and made sadder by the fact that it really could and should have been prevented. As a poet, it's not surprising that Natasha Trethewey's writing is lyrical and this book was a beautiful tribute to her mother. I hop the writing of it helped her heal.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Grateful to my friend for giving me this book. It was such a privilege to be able to read Trethewey’s story. Her project calls to mind Didion: “We tell ourselves stories in order to live”— Trethewey here has done something remarkable in reminding me that our lives might be inherently meaningless, but through language and story we create meaning, and it is not only how we survive, but how we live.
emotional
tense
slow-paced
This reading was the second time I tried to get into Memorial Drive on audiobook - and if you're having some trouble, hang in there! I got hooked eventually, but it was a slow simmer. The writing is strong, the story is intense, and my emotions were tied in with the story. The transcripts were a powerful integration. I will say, while listening to the audiobook it pulled me out a bit. I loved hearing the author read it, but I wonder if I would have bumped it higher if I read a physical copy. This is a challenging read, so I recommend checking on the trigger warnings first.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
emotional
sad
medium-paced
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
This is a memoir of Tretheway's childhood and the domestic abuse and eventual murder of her mother by her stepfather. Tretheway's writing is beautiful. Perfectly rendered. Every word intentional. I listened to the author narrate the audiobook and it was very well done. This is a hard, achingly difficult and important memoir.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
What a gift to share this painful time with us, all while providing some larger context in which she and her family lived. The writing was accessible, engaging, and really worked to draw us into her inner thoughts and feelings. The authors grief was palpable, and by the end I felt gutted, as if I’d known her mom myself.