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scribblepost's review against another edition
5.0
A gorgeous memoir/autofiction. Funny, poignant, pained but restrained. I need to ponder how I feel about the very end—it concluded sort of abruptly for me. But god, she's such a beautiful writer.
tagenmumey's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
nicoconutmilk's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-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
3.75
booksinbedinthornhill's review against another edition
4.0
I want to read everything by Sigrid Nunez! The Friend and What Are You Going Through have sent me back to her earlier work.
dylankakoulli's review against another edition
4.0
“A Feather On The Breath Of God” is a relatively short -but utterly compelling and thought provoking read, all about the tumultuous relationships between parents and children. Exploring themes of heritage, displacement, language and identity.
We follow a relatively young -unnamed woman, as she looks back to the world of her immigrant parents: a withdrawn, Chinese-Panamanian father and a homesick, rather eccentric German mother. Who met and married in postwar Germany, before finally emigrating and settling in 1950’s New York City. Whilst growing up in a cramped housing project with her mum, dad and younger sister, our narrator would often escape the humdrum of family life, into dreams and aspirations -inspired by her parents tales of their past, the art and literature she was exposed too, and -for a short while, escaping into the otherworldly life of ballet.
Honestly, Nunez writing blows my mind every god damn time! She has this masterful way of using simple -yet unpretentious, language and structure, that perfectly manages to conjure such strong and evocative emotions and astute observations.
Made up of four parts, it is only until you come to the end, that you see how beautifully everything falls into place -not fully resolved, but it is undeniably a perfect exploration of someone attempting to find and piece together a sense of self, through both experiences and expressionism.
4 stars
Shout out to the one and only Chloe -who certainly knows me so well and for giving me this book!
We follow a relatively young -unnamed woman, as she looks back to the world of her immigrant parents: a withdrawn, Chinese-Panamanian father and a homesick, rather eccentric German mother. Who met and married in postwar Germany, before finally emigrating and settling in 1950’s New York City. Whilst growing up in a cramped housing project with her mum, dad and younger sister, our narrator would often escape the humdrum of family life, into dreams and aspirations -inspired by her parents tales of their past, the art and literature she was exposed too, and -for a short while, escaping into the otherworldly life of ballet.
Honestly, Nunez writing blows my mind every god damn time! She has this masterful way of using simple -yet unpretentious, language and structure, that perfectly manages to conjure such strong and evocative emotions and astute observations.
Made up of four parts, it is only until you come to the end, that you see how beautifully everything falls into place -not fully resolved, but it is undeniably a perfect exploration of someone attempting to find and piece together a sense of self, through both experiences and expressionism.
4 stars
Shout out to the one and only Chloe -who certainly knows me so well and for giving me this book!
yeahimtara's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- 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
bgg616's review against another edition
5.0
This is a beautifully written book. It focuses on the experiences of a daughter of immigrants and the various sections of the book illuminate the experiences of a biracial woman with indepth portraits of her parents, who nonetheless remain a mystery to her. I loved this author's book The Last of Her Kind.
drapetomaniac's review
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Misogyny, Eating disorder, Drug abuse, and Racism
Moderate: Classism
Minor: Addiction and Animal cruelty
lena_k's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0