Reviews - Don't Cry for Me

1.89k reviews for:

Don't Cry for Me

Daniel Black

4.39 AVERAGE

zerowastedork's review

5.0

Beautifully narrated by the author. A moving, bittersweet story. Some bright moments of joy among many challenges. Loved it.

javonne's review

5.0

This book was so beautiful. I know a ton of people who have had a/the similar experience with their parents - specifically a Black father.
When I can find the words, I’ll come back and add them, because it was just that good.

leah_runhideandread's review

5.0

Told in a form of letters to his queer son Isaac, Jacob writes on his death bed seeking understanding and forgiveness. He explores the raw emotions and regrets he has while he tries to explain his reasoning for his ignorance. He starts back in time by illustrating his childhood when growing up in a culture of expectations as a black man shaped his beliefs and molded him to be the strict and homophonic father he came to be. By opening up and being accountable, Jacob is able to dive deep Into his emotions to leave Isaac with a story of his upbringing that leads him to be the man, the brother, the husband, and father he came to be. He acknowledges his failures in life and is able to express his remorse for mistakes he’s made and just wants his son to know that through it all he did have love for his son.

The casual writing of this book makes for a quick read, but in no way does it take away from the depths of this book. This is a story that will have you feeling heartbreak, sorrow, anger, shame, healing, and acceptance. This book will make you feel many emotions, most of all regret and love.

"Hurt is worse than anger you know. Anger dwells in the head, then fades. Hurt lingers in the soul. It rearranges your feelings without your permission.”

mnboyer's review

4.0

Book of the Month: February 2022
PopSugar 2021 reading challenge #34

Pretty amazing. Written as a dying father writing a letter to his son, Don't Cry for Me makes you angry, happy, sad, pleased, upset, and everything in between. I wanted to shake the father and tell him I hated him. I also wanted to hug him and tell him I'm sorry for the pain he went through in his life. Ugh! It was upsetting at times, but I could not put it down. (But not for the faint of heart, tons of trigger warnings, too many to list!).

avra_s's review

3.0

Intense and deeply sad. Unique format.

schmalcat's review

4.0

This was a really well written and insightful read about black masculinity and how is shapes generations. I was really moved by some of the passages and it makes me sad to think that many men never realize or realize too late the damage they have caused and are not able to have the healing with their family.

tammys_take's review

4.0

I keep wavering between a 3 to 4 stars on this one. The story was compelling, a dying father writing a letter of the regrets in his life to his gay adult son. What I liked was the discussion of the differences of what defined manhood between the father’s and son’s generations, the way the story was written as a letter, and how the history of generational trauma is explored. I didn’t like that it didn’t truly feel like an “apology” for how he treated his son. It was hard to read from the father’s perspective at times, he was unflinchingly a product of his generation. The one saving grace was the beginning of his transformation through education, albeit, a bit too late.