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3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
Wow. Truly one of the best books I have read in a long time. A deep story of siblingship that grapples with big importants - religion, abuse, sexuality, racism, hope. Just wow. Made me think and made me miss my sibling.
Heart-breaking story that was hard to put down from the domino-effect of abuses the author recounts. Yet despite all of her memories of suffering, guilt, and pain, the beautiful truth of love prevails, showing the hope in the darkest circumstances. Very powerful story.
Fremstår tidvis mer som en roman enn en memoar, mest fordi Julia tilsynelatende er så uaffisert av alt det forferdelig som skjer i livet hennes, men med godvilje kan det kanskje heller tolkes som at hun skriver om året hun fylte 17 (?) med en 17-årings innsikt og forståelse. Elles. Ble både dypt fascinert og dypt irritert av denne.
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
fast-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Religious bigotry, Abortion
Moderate: Child abuse
More like 4.5 stars. Well written. Hard topics--racism and child abuse intertwined with religion. I am appalled that the Escuela Caribe continues to operate despite the emotional/physical abuse. It seems like there should be some agency that projects children against this abuse, but I suppose if an upstanding surgeon can beat his children, so can an entire group of "so-called Christians". See http://nhym-alumni.org/ Several alumni, including the author answered questions about their experience at this "prison camp."
Great memoir! I am amazed at how un cynical and angry it was given her life.
I'm having a hard time rating this book. Scheeres' story and prose really pulled me in, and her relationship with her brother David, with all of its unlikely turns and challenges, was complex, profound, and well-wrought.
With the multiple abuses and struggles in the memoir, it felt like watching a car wreck at times. Despite the dismal retelling of multiple disasters, I feel that the book ultimately succeeded. I came away encouraged by the siblings' persevering friendship and the strength of the human spirit, and intrigued by the religious culture that can allow such abuse to thrive.
Unfortunately, Scheeres doesn't explore the larger picture of how religious fundamentalism can create and contribute to racism, sexism, and abusive environments. The book is constricted to a simple, narrow narrative: "here are bad things that happened to me and my brother, perpetrated by bad people." Scheeres dwells on a very two-dimensional cast of supporting characters: the abusive teachers, the violent father, the selfish mother, the fun sister, the stupid hicks, the subversive friends.
Especially compared to the rich, nuanced exploration of David and Julia's relationship, these supporting characters all fell flat into tired stereotypes. I hope that, in her journalistic work, Scheeres continues writing on the topics of race, gender, fundamentalism, and abuse. Her story could prove a good jumping off point for a deeper exploration of how these themes intertwine.
With the multiple abuses and struggles in the memoir, it felt like watching a car wreck at times. Despite the dismal retelling of multiple disasters, I feel that the book ultimately succeeded. I came away encouraged by the siblings' persevering friendship and the strength of the human spirit, and intrigued by the religious culture that can allow such abuse to thrive.
Unfortunately, Scheeres doesn't explore the larger picture of how religious fundamentalism can create and contribute to racism, sexism, and abusive environments. The book is constricted to a simple, narrow narrative: "here are bad things that happened to me and my brother, perpetrated by bad people." Scheeres dwells on a very two-dimensional cast of supporting characters: the abusive teachers, the violent father, the selfish mother, the fun sister, the stupid hicks, the subversive friends.
Especially compared to the rich, nuanced exploration of David and Julia's relationship, these supporting characters all fell flat into tired stereotypes. I hope that, in her journalistic work, Scheeres continues writing on the topics of race, gender, fundamentalism, and abuse. Her story could prove a good jumping off point for a deeper exploration of how these themes intertwine.
It's really hard to stomach the things described in this book and sit with the abuse and trauma that occurred under the name of Christianity. I feel it was lacking depth in some ways but I'm not sure how to describe it. I'm glad Julia got to tell hers and David's stories, and the end really changed my perspective on the rest of the book.