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heather_mcintosh's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
nrldyer's review
5.0
An exploration of race, identity and belonging through different parts of the body and the author's mixed heritage. I liked the part memoir, part study style, as it kept the narrative invigorated and Mcwatt was open about her own journey.
rorom's review
4.0
Structured like a science experiment, moving from hypothesis through to body (labelled under literal body parts) and findings, Tessa McWatt creates a piece of incredibly valuable literature on race that leaves no dark corners. It’s evident through her writing that she’s not afraid of depth. Not in her heart shattering childhood anecdotes, to stories of her ancestors - both real and imagined - to her current experiences as an interracial woman. And yet she is careful to not place herself at the centre of this narrative on race, acknowledging many others who have suffered, and continue to do so.
This book sparked an interest in me in my own history that I hadn’t considered before, taking the question “who am I?” beyond just myself. Who lives in the shape of my lips? The shade of my skin? To say no man is an island but then to feel it, that is a moving experience.
McWatt is what I define a solid author to be in their writing; educated, emotional, and undeniably talented.
This book sparked an interest in me in my own history that I hadn’t considered before, taking the question “who am I?” beyond just myself. Who lives in the shape of my lips? The shade of my skin? To say no man is an island but then to feel it, that is a moving experience.
McWatt is what I define a solid author to be in their writing; educated, emotional, and undeniably talented.
bookalong's review against another edition
5.0
"Identification is not identity. Shared traits do not equal shared identity. My identity has been fluid as I move back and forth across the Atlantic, back and forth between art and institution, between screen and page, between past and present."
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Thoughts~
Mcwatt has written a most impressive piece of literature. An analysis of race and identity like no other! The very question "who are you?" has never been so closely examined.
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The book opens with a memory, an eight years old McWatt in her grade 3 classroom. The teacher asking if any of the children know what the word Negro means. A fellow classmate points at McWatt, the teacher then tries to steady the conversation by saying no Tessa is something else. Then ask's what are you Tessa? Even at such a young age this leaves an everlasting mark on her.
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I have never read anything as smart and thought provoking on matters of race and identity. She goes deep. Sharing stories from childhood to womanhood. Courageously examining her own body in correlation to her interracial heritage. The images she conjures are powerful and lasting. She breaks down barriers on racism both politically and culturally. This book left me with so much to think about. She is a brilliant and talented writer!
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Books like this are so important. For the readers who find comfort in their pages but also the readers that grasp a better understanding of experiences they will never know or live through.
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This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2020 and it didnt dissapoint! It publishes today and I highly reccomend checking it out!
•
Thank You to the publisher for sending me this book. Opinions are my own.
•
For more of my book content check out instagram.com/bookalong.
•
Thoughts~
Mcwatt has written a most impressive piece of literature. An analysis of race and identity like no other! The very question "who are you?" has never been so closely examined.
•
The book opens with a memory, an eight years old McWatt in her grade 3 classroom. The teacher asking if any of the children know what the word Negro means. A fellow classmate points at McWatt, the teacher then tries to steady the conversation by saying no Tessa is something else. Then ask's what are you Tessa? Even at such a young age this leaves an everlasting mark on her.
•
I have never read anything as smart and thought provoking on matters of race and identity. She goes deep. Sharing stories from childhood to womanhood. Courageously examining her own body in correlation to her interracial heritage. The images she conjures are powerful and lasting. She breaks down barriers on racism both politically and culturally. This book left me with so much to think about. She is a brilliant and talented writer!
•
Books like this are so important. For the readers who find comfort in their pages but also the readers that grasp a better understanding of experiences they will never know or live through.
•
This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2020 and it didnt dissapoint! It publishes today and I highly reccomend checking it out!
•
Thank You to the publisher for sending me this book. Opinions are my own.
•
For more of my book content check out instagram.com/bookalong.
mridula_m's review against another edition
4.0
Beautifully structured book with chapter headings associated with the human anatomy. I found this to be a promising start to dissecting one person's experience according to, as the title states, 'race and belonging'.
I appreciated McWatt's personal stories of mixed race ancestry. They were intimate and heart-searing. Structuring chapters with one line or paragraph, highlighting blank space, was a brilliant move that 'spoke volumes'.
I struggled a bit with how the stories jumped around and found myself losing focus on the central theme of chapters. Still, a lovely book worth reading.
I appreciated McWatt's personal stories of mixed race ancestry. They were intimate and heart-searing. Structuring chapters with one line or paragraph, highlighting blank space, was a brilliant move that 'spoke volumes'.
I struggled a bit with how the stories jumped around and found myself losing focus on the central theme of chapters. Still, a lovely book worth reading.
avisreadsandreads's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Genocide, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, and Slavery
intergalacticintrovert's review against another edition
5.0
Some content warnings: racial slurs, hate crimes, torture, genocide, police violence, medical racism
“Stories make meaning for us; they connect or divide us.”
“Stories make meaning for us; they connect or divide us.”