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2treads's review
challenging
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
- He stares at his youngest in my arms, her head resting comfortably on my shit hole shoulder - excerpt from the story Send Her Back
Kaseke's stories are rife with immigrant experiences, questions of identity, belonging, and home. Stories that use characters in this way to question leaving and returning to their homeland, yearning for equal footing as immigrants, will always resonate with me.
But as she takes us through each scenario, each relationship, we see the common thread of reaching back, trying to hold on to parts of what/who was left behind, what can be kept and passed on, and the struggle that is inherent in just being not from there.
The stories drip with honesty and vulnerabilities, of how women and girls lose their voices in relationships, are used up and objectified by men, the sexualisation of young feminine bodies, the imbalance of power in marriages, homes, and social gatherings; yet still there is a defiance and strength that is evident in these women, who move towards a life of independence and self-actualization.
Kaseke's stories are rife with immigrant experiences, questions of identity, belonging, and home. Stories that use characters in this way to question leaving and returning to their homeland, yearning for equal footing as immigrants, will always resonate with me.
But as she takes us through each scenario, each relationship, we see the common thread of reaching back, trying to hold on to parts of what/who was left behind, what can be kept and passed on, and the struggle that is inherent in just being not from there.
The stories drip with honesty and vulnerabilities, of how women and girls lose their voices in relationships, are used up and objectified by men, the sexualisation of young feminine bodies, the imbalance of power in marriages, homes, and social gatherings; yet still there is a defiance and strength that is evident in these women, who move towards a life of independence and self-actualization.
Content Warnings
Minor: Abandonment, Gaslighting, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual assault
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