Scan barcode
A review by deborah_ann
Ghostbread by Sonja Livingston
3.0
Memoirs of a Catholic girl growing up in extreme poverty in the Rochester area in the 1970's. This is a heartbreaking story that's beautifully written. Sonja was one of seven children; the oldest three from the same father, the other four are from all different fathers. Sonja writes that it was no big deal not having a father, but she talks about fathers a lot and it's a deep source of shame - "Despite so many daddies; we'd somehow ended up with none."
Sonja's mother moved her family back and forth across Western New York many times. I think there was a great deal of Sonja's maternal grandmother in her mom, both had a strong wanderlust/restlessness that created loads of unnecessary hardship. Her mother was overwhelmed, probably depressed and using. Some of that affected Sonja, who was constantly in trouble. She had growing apathy towards school and came very close to not graduating. Sonja, most likely, would have ended up a teenage mother, if not for an infertility problem, which turned out to be blessing and a curse all rolled into one.
Overall, two items standout - Sonja Livingston's writing is beautiful, bordering on poetic and her story is told in a very open, sincere manner. Each chapter is no more than one or two pages, written as short essays, so it's easy to pick up and put down.
For the record, Ghostbread is an actual bread that the Indians make to celebrate the removal of ghosts. Maybe that's a message for her readers; that Sonja Livingston is exorcising the ghosts of her childhood by delving into the memories of her past.
Sonja's mother moved her family back and forth across Western New York many times. I think there was a great deal of Sonja's maternal grandmother in her mom, both had a strong wanderlust/restlessness that created loads of unnecessary hardship. Her mother was overwhelmed, probably depressed and using. Some of that affected Sonja, who was constantly in trouble. She had growing apathy towards school and came very close to not graduating. Sonja, most likely, would have ended up a teenage mother, if not for an infertility problem, which turned out to be blessing and a curse all rolled into one.
Overall, two items standout - Sonja Livingston's writing is beautiful, bordering on poetic and her story is told in a very open, sincere manner. Each chapter is no more than one or two pages, written as short essays, so it's easy to pick up and put down.
For the record, Ghostbread is an actual bread that the Indians make to celebrate the removal of ghosts. Maybe that's a message for her readers; that Sonja Livingston is exorcising the ghosts of her childhood by delving into the memories of her past.