Reviews tagging 'Misogyny'

The Human Origins of Beatrice Porter and Other Essential Ghosts by Soraya Palmer

3 reviews

the_true_monroe's review

adventurous challenging dark funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

This book is a tough one to process, in a good way. I never read anything like it, where the narrator goes in between directly telling about the day to day lives or specific events that occurred in the lives of 2 sisters, their mother and father, to telling stories of mythical creatures (often the family would tell these stories), to combining both to where you were made to wonder what was meant to be part of a mythical retelling or was happening in the moment in terms of interactions of the mythical and magical creatures with the family.

The magical realism is used to address and emphasize experiences surrounding coming of age, cultural identity, gender and sexuality, racism, trauma and what I think was one of the most defining themes (as it interacted with each of the ones I mentioned prior): generational trauma. 

I found this books thanks to Storygraph’s Around The World Challenge- representing Trinidad (this book takes place in Brooklyn, NY, Jamaica and Trinidad).

Definitely will be looking for more written by this author to enjoy!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Racism, Religious bigotry, Toxic relationship, Terminal illness, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Lesbophobia, Homophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Infidelity, Death of parent, Cancer, and Abandonment

Moderate: Abortion, Vomit, Racial slurs, Pregnancy, Murder, Torture, Dysphoria, Suicide, Dementia, Outing, Drug use, and Alcoholism

Minor: Pedophilia, Incest, Slavery, Colonisation, Suicidal thoughts, Misogyny, Sexism, and Cultural appropriation

poisoned_icecream's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Child abuse, Misogyny, Abortion, Rape, and Racism

2treads's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

"Nothing more dangerous than a story with an owner that no one can touch." –Beatrice

For me, it is the seamless weaving of our orality and roundabout ways of telling stories and histories that make this such a worthwhile read. Palmer has paid homage to the wealth of history that our stories represent. Using this very fractured family where violence, resentment, communication and its lack, familial dysfunction, and sexual identity are their own little stories.

For Sasha and Zora, their home was always volatile. Even when stories were shared, there was that darkness that seemed ingrained in the essence; how the one who tells shapes it for their own purposes. Here, the interaction between mother and daughters and father and daughters shows a complicated dichotomy and how parental influence and actions recur through generations.

I love the way Palmer reimagined our folklore, using it to tackle and highlight issues that are widespread and all too prevalent in our communities. Reading Beatrice and her daughter's stories was both a reckoning and celebration of the intricacies of our history and homes.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Colonisation, Sexual assault, Death of parent, and Death

Minor: Domestic abuse, Misogyny, and Body horror