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A review by ofbooksandtrees
The Unfamiliar: Making a Queer Family by Kirsty Logan
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
Read March 2024
I’m not really the target audience for a book about a fertility journey, pregnancy, and motherhood (tbh, I don’t think I would have picked this up had I not previously loved Kirsty Logan’s work), but it’s really good and I’m glad I gave it a chance.
.
Like Kirsty also mentions in here, it’s often said that memoirs should be written once you’re far enough removed from what you’re writing about, not while you’re still going through it. But that’s not what she did with this book and for me that’s actually what makes it so strong. It feels raw, emotional and like you’re there with her. Not a reflection on the events with the edges softened by the years that have gone by.
.
Also, I love Logan’s writing and the choice for the second-person pov worked really well for me.
I’m not really the target audience for a book about a fertility journey, pregnancy, and motherhood (tbh, I don’t think I would have picked this up had I not previously loved Kirsty Logan’s work), but it’s really good and I’m glad I gave it a chance.
.
Like Kirsty also mentions in here, it’s often said that memoirs should be written once you’re far enough removed from what you’re writing about, not while you’re still going through it. But that’s not what she did with this book and for me that’s actually what makes it so strong. It feels raw, emotional and like you’re there with her. Not a reflection on the events with the edges softened by the years that have gone by.
.
Also, I love Logan’s writing and the choice for the second-person pov worked really well for me.