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bill_muganda 's review for:
Christodora
by Tim Murphy
An exceptional novel chronicling the history of the HIV epidemic that paralyzed the world in the 80s. The aftermath, the voices that fought to be heard, the loss of families and the continuous efforts to eradicate the stigma and find a cure. Set in New York city we zoom into an apartment building called Christodora where we come across (Milly & Jared) a privileged white couple who have decided to adopt (Mateo) an AIDS orphan and we also meet (Hector) A Gay Puerto Rican man who was a strong voice in the 80s AIDS movement but has succumbed to drug addiction in his later years. We see how their lives intertwine and the huge impact of that one virus can have on a generation.
HIV/AIDS is a very touchy subject lots of people tend to shy away from it and most African countries are still heavily affected because of the stigma. What Tim Murphy does with this narrative is quite powerful he evokes so much emotion through the characters addictions, inner turmoil, identity, sexuality, mortality etc. I had no idea the amount of work that went into pushing for a cure back in the beginning stages. The protests and the huge wave of loss that affected families because the government didn't want to be associated with the name "AIDs" How HIV positive women were set aside because people at the time believed that the virus only affected gay men. It was interesting to see how minorities group came together to push forward the issues and in the end changing history. I really admired Tim Murphy's honesty and being in the frontline as an HIV/AIDS reporter for 20 years I think he tackled this important issue with finesse, reminding us the importance of literature in destigmatization of HIV/ AIDS. I highly recommend this especially for fans of A Little Life, The Goldfinch & The Interestings :) a new favorite.
Another book I'm so glad I read before I died... Full review soon
HIV/AIDS is a very touchy subject lots of people tend to shy away from it and most African countries are still heavily affected because of the stigma. What Tim Murphy does with this narrative is quite powerful he evokes so much emotion through the characters addictions, inner turmoil, identity, sexuality, mortality etc. I had no idea the amount of work that went into pushing for a cure back in the beginning stages. The protests and the huge wave of loss that affected families because the government didn't want to be associated with the name "AIDs" How HIV positive women were set aside because people at the time believed that the virus only affected gay men. It was interesting to see how minorities group came together to push forward the issues and in the end changing history. I really admired Tim Murphy's honesty and being in the frontline as an HIV/AIDS reporter for 20 years I think he tackled this important issue with finesse, reminding us the importance of literature in destigmatization of HIV/ AIDS. I highly recommend this especially for fans of A Little Life, The Goldfinch & The Interestings :) a new favorite.
Another book I'm so glad I read before I died... Full review soon